


C R I M S O N  D U S T

by RadioDemon2020



Category: Hazbin Hotel (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Blood, Child Abuse, Comfort, Decapitation, Dismemberment, Found Family, Guns, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Kidnapping, Other, Torture, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-07
Updated: 2021-01-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:14:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 18
Words: 26,404
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27412531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RadioDemon2020/pseuds/RadioDemon2020
Summary: This story actually surrounds around Angel Dust and his boss, Valentino (No shipping between them will happen because-Uh... ) For over 70 years, Angel Dust had to deal with that bastards abuse and totalitarian control over him. Aside from having his little pig, Fat Nugget, to keep him from going completely insane, a little girl was welcomed into Angel's life. That is...if he could keep her safe from Valentino.
Comments: 9
Kudos: 22





	1. D I S C O R D  S E R V E R

Hi everyone!

I really hope you're enjoying this story so far. But I just wanted to take a quick second to talk about the Discord server I made for this story. Yes, I made a server for this story in case anybody wanted to help out or have characters they want to see in future chapters. There are only three people in the server. 

https://discord.gg/k4DpmMs 

There's the link in case anybody is interested. 

That's all I really wanted to talk about but if you guys want to help out with this story or just want to maybe see a character you created for Hazbin Hotel to be in this story, please feel free to check out the server. 

Thank you and happy reading! ^^


	2. C H A P T E R O N E : D I A M O N D  H E A R T

Oh god. 

Who knew that he’d stoop to this level? 

Well, considering that he was a former client of Valentino, and he completely bailed on him for not paying up. News certainly travels fast around Pentagram City. But the way that they found the poor guy. . .Poor bastard bled out from the various injuries delivered to him by the TV Demon Vox, while that son of a bitch Valentino stood off to the side, smoking a cigarette and let the pink smoke evaporate into the air before that god awful grin stretched onto his face, his gold tooth shining in the dim streetlight. Letting others do his dirty work and not getting any blood on him. . . 

Fucking pathetic if you ask me. 

From the bustling sounds of car horns beeping from annoyed workers who were just getting home and cursing up a storm at whoever’s taking too long because of their exciting phone conversation, to a few gunshots sprinkled in there every once and awhile, and to finish off with the icing on this sinful cake, the disgusting and awful smell of death, gunpowder and cigarette smoke that lingered in the air of the city, this was the afterlife of the many Demons all over Hell. Sure, some were having very peaceful afterlives. Just doing what they usually do, maybe repeat something they did when they were still alive. And. . . others who haven’t changed from their human shells before they broke and rotted away, leaving nothing but the soul left. Sin tendencies picking up after being on hold for God knows how long. 

Of course, there was some rehabilitation.  
What with the Princess of Hell going out of her way to try and cleanse the ugliness of the city’s residents, her little passion project hasn’t really helped her one bit because it was in a bit of a slump.

Adding a little bit more smoke into the air, a soft exhale could be heard from the entrance of an alleyway. “What a Fucking mess. . .Ugh.” A long pair of legs, that were certainly some eye candy for a lot of weird fellas, covered all the way up to the upper thigh with only a little bit of skin exposed before being covered by a hidden but short black mini skirt. Those thigh high, very dark yet fashionable high heeled legs crossed over meticulously while the owner of those legs rested their body against the brick wall of the alley they were standing in. Inhaling and letting out another soft exhale, a puff of rose magenta smoke escaped its way out of a mouth with small, sharp teeth and one beautiful, gold tooth sticking out. A tight pink and white striped suit clung to the body perfectly while the four arms that were out and showing, one fuchsia pink gloved arm holding a cigarette between the fingers while the other rested on the side in a sassy manner. 

The other two gloved arms were crossed in a bit of an angry note. Stale wind blew by through the Demon infested city, small tufts of white hair with some small, pink details danced with the air. Heavy eyeshadow and eyeliner covered eyes, one white and one black, narrowed in what appeared to be frustration or complete anger, the bright pink irises shone brightly. What many residents of Pentagram City who went to the swanky studio in a part of the city would know who this person is. Or who’ve seen them around the block a few times, usually either smoking, joining in on the turf wars with another Demon, or going through a punishment from their Boss, there they were.  
Angel Dust. A good money maker and very well known adult star had unfortunately been sent out here by this corner by that motherfucker of a Boss, Valentino. Ugh, just that name made Angel wanna throw up. History with Valentino. . . it wasn’t pleasant. 

Thankfully, his time was up and pushing his body off of the wall, the sound of high heels clicked and clacked against the concrete sidewalk before finally stopping in front of a large building. ‘Hazbin Hotel’ was what the sign basically screamed out for any newcomers to see. For a few weeks now, Angel Dust had been staying at this hotel in order to be cleansed of his sins with the help of the Princess of Hell herself and her girlfriend who at times looked like she wanted to rip him in half for what stupid act he pulls.

Walking up to the second floor where his room was, Angel Dust then paused when he spotted a room with the door adjacent. Poking his head a little bit, his alluring pink irises took in every detail of the room. The theme had a sort of night black and blood red feeling. The night black paint covered the walls while the blood red covered the furniture surrounding the room. But lying on the small couch in the room was a little girl. 

She wasn’t like the other Demons living in Hell. In fact, she was probably the only real Human to really be down in the city of Demons. Ruby Diamond was her name.

She had the age and body of a small six year old girl, with honey blonde hair cut short and sprawled out behind her head. Her bright sky blue eyes were shut at the moment as her small chest rose and fell. Her small body rested with her head fell to the side, one arm resting on her slowly falling and rising stomach as the other arm was dangling off the side of the adjacent couch.  
However, the adult film star spider caught a glimpse of something very small and. . .pink. A small adorable face appeared from behind the couch as a small pig whose body was a mix of black and dark pink spots painted in various areas. The small pig headed over to Angel, only to give a happy little noise as Angel picked up the animal and hugged the pig close.   
“Did you miss your Daddy, Nuggs?” Angel asked in a sweet tone, looking down at his darling pig who was currently enjoying the warmth and softness of Angel’s fluff. Gently taking his eyes off of his baby, the spider star’s eyes locked onto the sleeping little girl on the couch. 

Fashionable high heels clicked and clacked quietly against the carpeted floor of the room, a dark silhouette cast over Ruby, who moaned quietly as her body jolted a second. Then, sweet dreams lulled her back into a deep slumber. Two free arms settled Nuggs down back onto the couch, giving his small head a light pat. 

Slowly and carefully, Ruby was swept up into Angel’s arms, a content sigh of satisfaction of feeling the softness of his fluff and the warmth wrapping around her small body escaped her closed lips while her mouth stretched into a small, yet noticeable smile. 

Her usual hot pink and clean white dress had been folded up and off to the side by Vaggie earlier and her new outfit was a comfortable and clean baby blue nightgown that reached down to her knees. From where Angel was standing, Ruby had the position and appearance of a baby, trapped in a good dream. 

Quietly, high heels started up their clicking and clacking against the carpeted floor over to the black and red matching queen size bed. The cool, blood red bed sheets hugged Ruby’s small body comfortably as a pair of hot pink gloved hands made sure that Ruby wasn’t left feeling a chilly breeze blowing in through some sort of crack in the room or from the window if  
they were open, which they weren’t. And the room didn’t look super old enough to even have a hole. The other gloved hand brushed a few small strands of honey blonde hair out of Ruby’s sleeping face.

The sight was honestly something to cherish and hold in his heart for the rest of his afterlife. Lightly brushing his fingers against her soft cheek, Angel had the sheer determination of protecting that smile. That face. That. . . girl. The ugliness of what someone like Valentino could do to such a little treasure like Ruby pierced right through Angel’s heart. 

“Sweet dreams, Precious.” He whispered to her deaf ears before motioning to Nuggs to head out. Softly jumping off of the couch, Nuggs walked alongside his owner, who took one last glance over at the peacefully sleeping child. Making sure that the door didn’t make any noise, Angel left the room, encasing it in total darkness and with no trace that he was ever there.

“Such a sweet little girl, isn’t she?” Perking his head up and looking over his shoulder, pink irises captured the permanently grinning face of Alastor. 

How long had that Radio Demon been standing in the hallway? It’s not like Angel really cared, just as long as that grinning bastard wasn’t gonna start popping up behind him. Unless he’d like to eat a whole bunch of bullets.

“Just the way that she can wake up each day without a care in the world and a bright smile on her face. . . I just get scared.” Angel replied, crossing over two of his arms, his eyes turned back to Ruby’s door while Fat Nugget rested comfortably in the second pair of arms. “You’re afraid that something might happen to her?” Alastor questioned, his head tilted to the side in a bit of confusion, his brow quirked just a tad.  
A quiet sigh escaped Angel’s lips, his eyes half lidded but narrowed. “Valentino has broken a lot of people. Including me. I don’t want her to end up in his web of abuse and manipulation if she ever meets him.” Angel paused after a while before replying with certainty dripping from his voice. 

“She has a diamond heart, Angel. Very strong yet beautiful. As long as she feels safe here and is able to see you come back everyday, then that’s all she can ask for.” Alastor replied almost immediately, There was a soft pause in the hallway as Alastor’s words were on repeat in Angel’s mind. 

“Now then, I must take my leave. My radio broadcast won’t start on its own. Until next time.” Alastor bid Angel goodbye before taking his leave, disappearing after his body continued down the stairs to the main area, leaving Angel and Fat Nugget in the hallway. 

Heels clicked and clacked over to another door, a gentle push given to open it and the light from the hallway to shed some light into the room. Pink was splashed all over the room, from the walls to the furniture, even to the curtains. A brown box that had various sex toys thrown in haphazardly with the words ‘ sex toys’ scratched out with black sharpie marker and ‘work stuff’ written over it. 

A small pink bean bag was the ultimate throne and bed for Fat Nugget. Settling his darling pet down into his bed, Angel rubbed Fat Nugget’s head, however his face had a clear frown stuck onto it. 

Turning his head over to the tall mirror covered makeup dressing table, his heart wrenched. Gently slamming his hands onto the table, Angel’s eyes darted in different directions before screwing closed tightly, his hands clenched into shaky fists. 

A cold sweat trickled down his forehead as an awful memory of Valentino taking advantage of him once more burned back into Angel’s mind. Letting out a shaky breath and looking at himself in the mirror, Angel still had that frown and those narrowed eyes present on his face. 

“A diamond heart…”


	3. C H A P T E R  T W O : D E A T H ' S  E M B R A C E

Hell isn’t really the place for a little girl such as Ruby. That alone is proven by the fact that there aren’t many kids who end up dying and going to Hell. Ruby was just. . . unlucky. 

How were her and her parents supposed to avoid that incoming truck? It would occasionally come back in flashes, burning back into her memory. But no matter what she does, nothing can just cleanse her mind from those gruesome images. The blaring sound of the incoming truck, the blinding light shining from the headlights, and the still very audible sound of metal crunching and glass breaking. 

‘Mom? Dad?’

Nothing could rewind time to where she could prevent this from happening. The ambulance rolling in while the flashing red and blue lights of the police cars illuminate a person with either a bright blue or red color. 

‘ Please don’t. . .’

The many eyes on her as she sat in some sort of courtroom in Limbo. The sheer piercing of guilt struck her heart as she felt that the whole accident had been her fault. Or how she knew what her father was doing was wrong but she did nothing to stop it. But in the end, she had been punished and thrown down into Hell with her father while her mother ascended to Heaven, probably soon to be brainwashed into an Angel who’ll join the upcoming Extermination Day. 

‘Mommy. . .Daddy. . . ?‘

A faint silhouette could be seen at the end of what looked like some sort of path. A long, clean white sundress gently flapped in the very light breeze that blew in through the void of darkness. Long, golden blonde hair dancing with the breeze and very soft, yet melodic humming could be heard from the figure in question.

‘Mommy?. . .’ 

However, as Ruby began to run after what looked like her mother’s spirit, it was almost no matter how fast she tried to run, she just couldn’t get very far. It was almost as if hands from the shadows came out and held her body in place.  
‘Mommy, where are you going? Please, don’t leave me all alone!’ 

The humming and figure then stopped walking but had stopped at the entrance of what looks like some sort of maze. Turning to Ruby, a pure white mask covered the woman’s eyes. Before fainting into darkness, one sentence was heard before the feeling of her ears being plugged up seeped in. 

‘At the end of the maze, Ruby. . .’ 

Her vision blurred once her eyelids rose and began to blink away the sleep that resided over her small body. Feeling warmth wrapped around her body, similar to how her mother’s hugs felt whenever Ruby had a horrible nightmare that shook her from her slumber or a rainy day where crystal tears spilled down her cheeks. Sadness swirled in the sky baby blue pools of her eyes like an eerie fog rolling over a cemetery. 

The rustling of bed sheets fell upon deaf ears as the small child hugged her covered knees up to her chest. Turning her eyes over to the inky black bedside table that sat next to the bed, her small hand stretched outwards. A gleam of gold sparkled as her fingers grabbed onto something very small and smooth. Looking down into the palm of her hand, Ruby’s blue irises took in the features of a locket. 

The gold shone beautifully as the light from outside her shaded windows reflected off of it. The texture was very cool and smooth and the small yet noticeable amethyst jewel glistened, a fine masterpiece all captured into one little treasure. 

‘I bought you a present, Ruby.’ 

Her fourth birthday was one of the happiest days of her life as she had gotten this locket from her father. The sheer glee and happiness made her smile shine brightly. 

‘This is so you can remember that your mother and I will always be close. In here.'

Her father pointed a thin finger to her chest, where her heart was. Ruby jumped into her father’s arms with a sweet little giggle while she could still remember the smell of her father’s cologne.  
A small drop could be seen on her bed comforter. Taking a couple of her fingers, Ruby could feel warm tears streaming down her face. A quiet sniffle got past her as she wiped her face clean of tears. 

Her and her father had been sent to different sides of Pentagram City. However, Ruby just didn’t have the heart to get rid of this gift. This locket held very precious memories and she never wanted to part with it for as long as she could. Since her mother bore beautiful, white wings and a glowing, bright gold halo, Ruby was a little bit vexed. 

Her father had blood on his hands. As much as a family man he was, underneath that lie the face of an assassin. The mere smoking gun her father stowed away in the family armory before going out each day. 

It was at the age of four as well that Ruby was taught how to use a weapon. How to. . . kill a target. The feeling sickened her as she didn’t want to become a killer like her father. 

‘Mommy? ‘

The hand brushing her soft, honey blonde locks of hair halted. Looking at her reflection in the large mirror in her room that looked to be big enough to house a princess, Ruby wore a clean yet beautiful baby pink party dress with small white roses patterned all over the piece of clothing. A matching bow resting comfortably in the back, only holding up a section of her hair.

‘ What is it, Darling? ‘

The glistening gold hairbrush was set down without a sound on the makeup dressing table. Very gentle, rich purple nail polished hands rested on her shoulders. Ruby couldn’t help but feel a sense of comfort and ease wash over her like a tidal wave. 

‘Why does Daddy. . .’ 

A pause. Ruby inwardly cursed herself for even uttering this next sentence. If she could go back in time, she could’ve watched what she said to her mother. 

‘Why does Daddy want me to follow in his footsteps?'  
Her small fingers gripped onto the leather arm rests of the chair she sat in at the moment. They dug into the leather so much, she was sure that the leather might tear a small bit from how hard she was gripping onto the arms. How she hated herself at that moment. 

‘My little dove. . .’

Gently turning the chair to her mother’s kind face, Ruby’s cheeks were cupped by the same warm and soft gentle hands of her mother’s. The sweet scent of vanilla sugar drifted off of her mother’s body. 

‘You should know that your father is only doing his job. Since he showed you how to shoot a weapon just a few months back, he told me the organization is wanting to recruit you. I know you don’t like killing innocent people. But your father only wants someone to take his place once he retires.’ 

‘But if you want to stop, I’ll let your father know.’ 

Ruby hid herself into her mother’s embrace, her face resting on her mother’s slim shoulder. Gentle circles danced in a clockwise rotation on the small of her back. 

A soft hum echoed in Ruby’s ears as she felt her eyes slide shut. Returning back to reality, Ruby blinked a few times before her eyes stopped over onto a large mirror in the corner of her room. What looked like a dark mist swirled around inside the glass, a vortex that could hypnotize her and whisk her away to some place else.

Slowly sliding down from her bed, her tiny feet were welcomed by the plush carpet underneath as Ruby cautiously walked over to her mirror, her brown bear resting comfortably in her arms. 

Stopping in front of her mirror, the mist began to distort and change form. Ruby’s head inclined to the side in slight confusion, a bit of curiosity sprinkled in as well.

The mist took the form and shape of a human girl, about Ruby’s height. However, there were a few details that differ the mist from her. The hands looked like sharp claws, ready to cut through anything and reach out to lunge at her.  
Then, the eyes rolled open and made eye contact with her, as if burning a head into her forehead just by staring at it. The eyes were a blood red color and glowed brightly. Then, the mist hissed in an eerie tone, slamming itself against the glass.

A startled breath of air escaped Ruby’s lips as she fell backwards and slammed her eyes shut. Her heart was racing the same pace as a running stallion. Quietly gulping down more air, Ruby looked back up to the glass mirror only to find the mist gone completely and only her reflection stared back at her. 

It was almost as if Death was coming to embrace her completely.


	4. C H A P T E R T H R E E : M I R R O R , M I R R O R

Freezing the picture of a scared Ruby in the mirror, a greyish brown hand placed itself onto the mirror near where she was. An excited, feminine giggle echoed throughout the room. “Such a little gem she is. . . She’d be so fun to mess with.” Crimson eyeshadow covered eyes narrowed in mischief while every detail of Ruby was taken in by them. 

“What have you been up to this time, Velvet? Last time you had your mirror out, you almost caused a whole city block to blow up from one of your potions.” 

Velvet, the Doll Demon, side glanced over her shoulder to hear a glitchy voice, one you’d mostly hear on TV. Her mix of white, velvet and burgundy hair gently smacked her face as she looked back to the screen of the terrorized little girl, as if she was on pause at the moment. 

“Nothing in particular, Voxy. But it would seem that Princess Charlie is now adding ‘babysitting service’ to her hotel.” Velvet replied in a bit of a gleeful tone.

“What in Grim’s name are you talking about?”

A crazed little giggle escaped from the Doll Demon’s inky black lips as she moved her body aside for the one known as Vox to see what exactly she was talking about. 

“See for yourself, Voxy.”

Blood red eyes with light blue irises, one of them in a very crooked fashion, narrowed as they took in the appearance of the child on the mirror’s glass. A deep yet curious hum vibrated in the throat of Vox, his sharp, light baby blue teeth stretched out into a wicked grin, the look of what appeared to be crimson blood dripping from the corner of his mouth in the flat TV screen that was his head.

“Interesting. . .Princess Charlie must be desperate if she’s allowing a child into her hotel.”

Velvet quietly snickered at Vox’s remarks before hearing the door opening and the echo of high heels bouncing off of the walls. 

“You two better have a good explanation as to why you’re not getting your jobs done.”  
Both Velvet and Vox turned their heads to see a shadowed figure, hot pink irises glaring at them both of them while the light from the mirror behind them reflected off of them menacingly, as if the icy cold glare was trying to turn them into a couple of frozen blocks of ice.

“Velvet here was just showing me a potential new target, Val.” Vox reassured, his eyes following a figure who walked in front of the mirror and adjusted his pink and gold, heart shaped rimmed glasses. “It would appear as though your little Angel has taken a fancy to this little brat.” 

Those hot pink irises widen for a split second before narrowing a bit. Black as night soft gloves covered four hands while the lighter colored tips disappeared into the palms. Immediately, sharp claws formed as a hot pink sleeved arm reached up to the glass and scratched against Ruby’s fear printed face. The sound of nails scraping against the glass made both Vox and Velvet cover their ears from the horrible screeching. 

Once finished, the now extremely sharpened nails were blown on before a mouth full of sharp, matching pink teeth began spouting out a sentence. 

“I want you two to keep a close eye on this new little tag along of Angel’s. She may be the key to his undoing.”

The bustling streets of Hell were filled with people chatting, smoking what lungs they still have after they’ve died, or full of people trying to pick fights with others. Quietly, light chocolate brown low heel, dress shoes walked down the sidewalk of the city. 

A soft little hum escaped Ruby’s lips as she stopped and saw her reflection in the mirror of a TV store. She still looked the same as she did before. Nothing had really changed about her appearance or her personality. She was still. . . Ruby. Of course, the fresh memory of something in her mirror freaked her out to no end. Biting down on her lower lip and gently rubbing her small arms, Ruby continued walking.  
But after walking for five minutes, her body then halted completely, ceasing any movement. This section of town. . . She’s never been down here before. Plus, no other souls were around to help her. Ruby whirled her body around a few times, trying to pinpoint anything that looked familiar but to no avail. 

She was lost. 

“You lost, little girlie?”

A voice snickered behind her as Ruby made the mistake of looking behind her. Red flags blared off in her head as she saw a trio of troublemakers. A cream fur colored cat Demon with shiny black glasses that look like a W but if it were a crooked W without the middle. Black leather and chains surrounded the body of the feline Demon while a very big looking Billy club rested on the shoulder.

Next to her, was a big, burly looking bull Demon. It’s gold nose ring hanging safely from inside it’s huge nostrils, a huff of angry smoke blew out through them as the body had a clean, white wife beater hugged to the chest and stomach, ripped up blue jeans and leather brown boots hugged the legs and feet. 

And finally, a giant, brown bear Demon glared down at the young child. It had the attire of a gang member. A red cloth covered his mouth and snout like a bandit, a comfy football jacket stretched comfortably over his fur covered, strong arms. Baggy, jersey pants hung around his legs and giant sneakers comforted his feet. 

Immediately, Ruby felt the urge to start running. So, she did. Taking off in a mad dash, she could hear the trio of gang members yelling and running after her. Her heart raced and her lungs cried out for more air but she didn’t stop running. She couldn’t. 

Turning down to an alleyway, Ruby paled to see that it was blocked off at the end. 

“Poor little princess. She ran into a dead end.”  
Whipping her body back around, her sky baby blue eyes contracted in fear as her small body pressed to the giant brick wall, blocking her chance of escape. The shadows of the three Demons covered her body. “Just take a breath and relax, sweetheart. This won’t hurt. . .much.”

Immediately, Ruby slammed her eyes shut and screamed. Her small body shook in absolute fear of this being it. Her body, beaten and bloodied found the next day or after these bastards were finished whacking her. 

An audible grunt could be heard, followed by a loud thud. Ruby opened her tear covered eyes and looked up. The bear Demon had tumbled over, like a mighty oaf. Followed by that but the Cat Demon had been slammed into the wall and slid down, blood spilling from her body. The bull Demon fell on top of the bear Demon, an audible grunt escaping from all three of them. 

“You fuckers should know better than to go and harm an innocent person.”

Ruby’s body shook as she looked at the Demons who tried to attack her. But then, her heart beat could be heard drumming in her ears when she saw the crimson pool of blood coming from the cat Demon, a clean stab wound located on her torso. 

The mechanical whirring of a robotic arm then took the place of the drumming of Ruby’s heart beat. Small droplets of crimson blood dripped onto the ground of the dirty alley way. Her eyes took in the features of her savior. 

Grey hooves and brown legs of what appeared to be a goat was the first thing that Ruby noted. Then, her sky, light baby blue eyes traveled up and stopped to take in the weapon. A sharp sword, dripping with crimson blood and glowing a bright red color was held tightly in a robotic arm.  
The other arm, covered by a dark blue with a light blue cufflink on the sleeve, had been stuffed into the pocket of a pair of inky black shorts. A bright red scarf was draped around the neck of a goat Demon. His hair was a burgundy color while a golden yellow eye with a black pupils and a red iris looked at her. Only one eye showed as the other appeared to be covered by a light grey eye patch covering his unseen eye. 

Taking the weapon and swiping it away from his body, his weapon removing any of the dripping blood before he took a clean rag out from inside his shorts pocket and wiping down his sword, the runes engraved on the silver sword still glowing a bright red color.

Twirling the sword in between his robotic fingers, his sword rested comfortably in the brown, leather pouch on his back. 

“Not to worry about a thing, kid. You’re gonna be just fine.”


	5. C H A P T E R F O U R : C Y B O R G  S A V I O R

Opening her eyes, Ruby felt warmth around her body again. But this time, she wasn’t back at the hotel. It looked like she was in some sort of old apartment. The fading in color, charcoal grey paint was chipping away. The once clean white curtains, now brown with age and torn up, gently danced with the wind that blew in through the open windows, the bustling streets and faint sounds of impatient cars honking at one another. 

“Glad to see you’re awake.” A soft, feminine voice turned Ruby’s attention to a figure in front of her. A goat and wolf hybrid Demon, with a mix of cream, white and grey speckled in blots on her feet and hands, but her face was mostly cream color with white speckled on a few sections. Tied around her hair was a black bow hair tie with yellow swirls here and there. 

Her burgundy hair and eye matched the same Goat Demon who rescued her from the alleyway.

“Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.” 

Ruby sat up and felt something cool and slightly wet pressed against her forehead. Sitting up, a washcloth fell from her forehead. 

How long was she out for? Last thing she remembered was being surrounded in the alleyway and then, that Cyborg Goat. . .Did he save her? 

“It was a good thing that my Dad came to save you. Nobody really messes with that trio or goes to that section of town.” The female spoke once more before turning to Ruby. 

“I’m Rue. What’s your name, Sweetness?”

Rue asked, a gentle glimmer in that yellow and orange colored eye of hers as she gave Ruby a patient yet kind smile. Ruby grabbed her teddy bear as she looked to the floorboard before glancing back up at Rue. 

“R. . .Ruby.” She stuttered, the shy side of her personality breaking free from the cage of emotions inside of her. It almost looked as though Rue’s expression changed drastically as she mentioned her name.  
“You mean the Ruby that everyone’s been talking about?” 

Well, this was news to Ruby. She didn’t know that she had become so famous and she’s only been in Hell for maybe two weeks. The quiet sound of a door opening and closing could be heard, followed by the sound of hooves clomping against the old wood. 

“From what I hear, you’re the talk amongst some of the guys down at the bar. They say that you’re under Princess Charlie’s care.”

That voice. Ruby looked up to see her savior from earlier. Immediately, her arms wrapped around him, catching him slightly off guard before he looked down at her. 

“Alright, kid. I don’t really do hugs. So, I think that’s enough for you.” 

Gently placing his hands on her shoulders, Ruby was pushed back a little bit but not too harshly as she looked up at the Cyborg Goat Demon. 

“Thank you for helping me out earlier, Mister.” 

If it’s one thing that Ruby remembers, it’s to use her manners. If her mother were here, she’d be beaming from how well she raised Ruby. 

“Name’s Pixel, kiddo. Now, before we get any further, I do gotta ask. . .What were you doing in that bad part of town?”

Hearing Pixel’s question, Ruby looked down with a bit of an ashamed expression glued to her pretty little face. All because she had been preoccupied in her thoughts and Pentagram City was a very big city to get lost in. Even though she had been here for two weeks, she hadn’t really explored all of Pentagram City since everybody at the hotel was busy with their own thing. 

“I. . .I got lost. I’ve been down here for two weeks but never had anybody to really show me around the city.” 

Ruby explained, the truth dripping from her every word, like drops of rain dripping down onto a green leaf and rolling down, dripping off of the tip of the leaf. 

Pixel exchanged a glance over at his daughter, Rue. It was as if they were thinking the same thing before a small smile stretched onto Rue. She proceeded to pull out a well polished and greatly cared for AK-47.  
“You go on ahead, Dad. I’ll hold down the fort.” 

Nodding to his daughter’s gentle order, Pixel turned to the little girl and extended his hand out for her to take. Small fingers were soon grasped in the warmth of his wool covered hand.

Once outside, Ruby strolled alongside Pixel, glancing at the many Demons who watched them from afar. A couple of them were the same Demons from before, but they were holding their wounds and soon, dashed off in fear as if they were set on fire. Or the hard, icy cold glare from Pixel made their blood chill.

“Pentagram City is divided into sections, Kid. Each section is ruled over by an overlord. But every so often, Angels from Heaven come down and have a day to annihilate any Demons they find. We call it ‘Extermination Day’. You see that tower over there?”

Ruby looked to where Pixel was pointing and could see a huge clock tower with a pentagram as a part of the clock. Little Devil looking spears were the hands of the clock and the words ‘Next Cleanse’ sat above a counter of days. At the moment, there were zero days.

“It takes a little while for that to be updated but each day that ticks by, it’s another day that the Angels look forward to eradicating all of us.”

Pixel explained, his fist clenching tightly at the mention of Angels. It made Ruby realize that her mother could most likely come down here. 

But it wouldn’t be for a visit.

“Just as long as you mind your surroundings and you keep an eye on that clock tower, you’ll be just fine. You understand what I’m saying, Kiddo?”

Ruby gave a soft nod in understanding as she looked up at Pixel with a soft, almost innocent smile. However, neither of them heard the soft click of a phone camera or a glitchy, yet quiet and crazed chuckle from the shadows of an alleyway. 

“Gotcha.”  
Business at the Happy Hotel had been rather slow. Not a new face ever since Ruby came into the picture. The Hotel was dead. Both in residents and in noise. The sound of feet walking back and forth echoed in the main lobby area as Princess Charlie was worriedly biting down on her lower lip. 

“Charlie, you shouldn’t worry too much. I’m sure she’s fine.” 

Vaggie, the co-owner of the Hotel and the beloved girlfriend of Princess Charlie, groaned softly as she watched her lover walk back and forth for nearly ten minutes. 

“Vaggie, she’s been gone for hours! I’m just worried if anything has happened to her.”

Charlie replied, the nerves just continuing to eat away at her. Multiple scenarios raced through her mind of what could’ve befallen poor little Ruby. All of them were not good. 

Cleaning a cup behind the bar of the Hotel, was a casino themed Cat Demon. Orange irises checked the glass carefully for any specks he might have missed before his taupe colored ears perked up at the mention of Ruby’s name. 

‘Kid’s been gone for almost three hours. Better go see if she’s alright.’ 

Setting the glass and rag down, the bartender and front desk clerk of the Hotel left the bar, which caught the attention of both Vaggie and Charlie. 

“Husk, where are you going?” 

Vaggie asked in utter confusion, looking over Charlie’s shoulder when she saw that Husk was at the front door of the Hotel. His wings, large and a beautiful red color with the suits patterned on the inside and outside of the feathers, stretched out as his hand was pressed onto the door. 

“I’m gonna go see if I can find the little one. I’ll make sure to bring her back in one piece.”

Before either of them could say anything, he headed out the door and took off to the sky. The wind whipped through his wings as he flew over Pentagram City.  
“Given the current circumstances with a few of the Overlords, I better hurry up and find her before something really bad happens to her.”


	6. C H A P T E R  F I V E : F E A R

Darkness. 

That was all Angel Dust could see right now. Lying in the comfort of his bed, he was not having a good dream filled with any sugary sweet or everything nice. 

His dream was dipped into the inky pools of nightmares. Mumbling to himself in his sleep, his body tossed and turned as the horrible nightmare burned itself present in his mind. 

The faint sound of heels clicking and clacking against the floor, Angel Dust had to swallow hard when he saw a familiar face. A face he dreaded seeing every day he had to go to work. A face that was burned into his mind every time that he had to look in the mirror before going to a performance. 

“Val. . .I I know I lied to you. I I wasn’t trying to-” Angel tried to make up an excuse as the hot pink with zebra patterning on the bottom came into view. One of the arms stretched out and placed itself on his shoulder as he looked up to the eyes behind the heart shaped glasses. 

“Oh, Angel cakes. . .”

The raspy voice of Angel’s boss spoke in what sounded like mock sadness. If Angel wasn’t dead, his heart would be going the same speed of a racing stallion. 

“ I I’m sorry. . .”

“C’mere. . .” Angel’s head was resting on the hot pink shoulder of the fur coat. He could feel Val’s claw like hand resting in the small tufts of white fluff behind his head. 

“I I’ll make it up to you. Just please-” 

Angel stammered, but then stopped when he heard Val take in a deep breath before exhaling out a puff of air. 

It wasn’t until a light turned on and shone down on something that made Angel’s blood chill. His body was shaking as giant, crystal tears collected in his eyes and began to drip down. Hot pink gloves gripped onto the material as Angel prayed to anybody out there listening that this wasn’t reality. 

“No. . .No!”  
Instead of getting any sort of remorse from his boss, a deep chuckle could be heard, a malicious smile hidden from Angel’s watering eyes. Another sigh escaped behind Angel but it sounded like a sigh of satisfaction. 

“Just look what you made me do. . .” 

The spotlight shone down on Ruby’s body, a pool of crimson spilled out from her small frame. No movement came from the young girl. Clean bruises and cuts were spotted everywhere on her body as her honey blonde hair locks covered her lifeless sky baby blue eyes, two small streams of tears falling down her cold cheeks. 

Ruby’s body was almost in a fetal position but her arm was resting on top of her stomach, her legs resting one inch from each other.

“NOOOO!”

He screamed out into darkness while the faint yet sinister chuckle from his boss echoed throughout the corridors of his mind. Immediately shooting up, Angel panted heavily as he looked around his room, A nightmare. . . Running his hands through his tufts of fluff, tears brushed against his arm. He had been crying for real. That. . .felt too real. 

A worried snort came from beside him and the feeling of something small yet comforting brushed against his hand. Looking down, his watered up eyes were met with the concerned black pools of Fat Nugget. A gentle stroke was gifted to Nuggs on top of his head while Angel took the time to calm down. 

“Thanks, Nuggs. I just had a nightmare is all.” Angel reassured, although a frown marked his features. 

“Angel, you feeling alright? I was downstairs cleaning when I heard you scream.” The concerned voice of Niffty caught the attention of both Angel and Fat Nugget. 

Seeing that worried look on the sweet little cyclops Demon, Angel knew that he couldn’t lie to her if he did worry her.  
“Honestly, Niffty? I’m far from okay. . .” Angel admitted, looking to the side while rubbing one of his four arms. Whenever he had these kinds of nightmares, he’d be so use to Cherri Bomb being there for him, masking that same worried face that Niffty has right now. 

“Well, why not come down and talk about it? I’ve got some cookies baking right now. Maybe that can help cheer you up.” 

Some of Niffty’s chocolate chip cookies always help whenever one of these Valentino nightmares storm Angel’s mind. It just goes to show that 70 years of being assaulted and used like a puppet on strings has broken Angel. 

Sitting down with Niffty in the main lobby area chewing down on some warm cookies, Angel took this time to fully explain to Niffty what happened. 

“I. . .It felt so real. Like Valentino had actually killed her. There was blood everywhere and I. . .God. . .” Angel felt himself about to break, just recalling the fresh memory still in his mind. Niffty, waiting patiently, let him take a minute to collect himself. 

“As far as I know, he doesn’t know about Ruby. But I don’t know what to do when he does find out about her. She’s just a kid, Niffty.” 

“Angel. . .” Feeling the small cyclops Demon wrap her comforting arms around him, Angel took a minute to encase her small body.

The hot tears threatening to escape were held back as the many scenarios of what could befall that sweet innocent smile of Ruby’s. . .they were not pretty. 

“It was just a nightmare, Angel. Right now is real. And right now, she’s fine. She’s alive.” Niffty gently soothed, pulling away from him little by little before giving him a warm smile. 

A quiet little sniffle could be heard from Angel as he took the time to calm down. ‘It’s not real. It’s not. . .real.’ Repeating that a few times in his head, Angel took the time to fully calm down. That nightmare wasn’t real. Ruby was fine. Husk was probably on his way back with her right now.  
“Thanks, Niffty.” 

“Always a pleasure.” Niffty gave him another smile before hopping off of her chair. “Well, I’d better get back to cleaning.”

Giving a cheery little wave, Niffty went back to where she had been before when she heard Angel scream. The adult film star spider finished up the sweet little treat before quietly heading back up to his room. 

Fat Nugget greeted his owner by running over to him and looking up with those innocent, black pools of his. Picking up his most prized possession, Angel walked over to his bed, his heels clicking and clacking before the soft and warm comforter of his bed cushioned his back and body. Hot pink irises burned a hole up at the ceiling just by staring at a certain spot. 

Looking to the side where he had a bedside table, his eyes caught a glance of something on the table. Aside from his clock and a pair of handcuffs, he didn’t remember how those got there, but reaching over, he picked up a phone. Angel keeps his phone near him just in case someone texts him or he’s called into work. But right now, he really didn’t wanna go to work and see that grinning bastard. . .

The phone turned on and a picture of Nuggs, sleeping like the little angel he was, it brought a smile to his face. Looking down, he could see Fat Nugget resting in his fluff, enjoying the warmth and soft feeling. 

“I’m not taking any chances. . .”

Immediately going to his contacts, Angel silently and slowly rose up, being careful not to wake up Nuggs. Last thing he wanted was his poor baby to worry about him anymore than he already has. 

Pressing the first contact his eyes landed on, the heart racing line connecting sound made part of Angel think of how much this was a stupid idea. But it was too late to go back on this when a feminine ‘Hello?’ caught his attention.

“Cherri? It’s Angel. Listen. . .I need you to do me a favor.”


	7. C H A P T E R  S I X : O L D  P A L

A clean, robotic leg dangled off of the rooftop of an old, abandoned, office building. A low hum escaped Pixel as he gazed upon the city before him. The scarlet red skies darkened the area above and all over Hell. Considering the fact that the place wasn’t all sunshine and sweetness with everything nice mixed into the blend. 

Looking down beside him was Ruby, her small honey, golden blonde locks of hair wavering in the wind in a gentle and slow dance, her small legs kicking back and forth in a relaxed tempo.

“Pixel?” Hearing that tone in Ruby’s kind, childish voice, the hired for pay assassin directed his attention down to the small girl resting beside him. 

“What is it, Kitten?” 

Ah, the nicknames. Ruby had gotten a few nicknames from everyone at the Hotel and she wore those labels like they were badges of honor. 

Husk’s nicknames for her are ‘Kid/ Kiddo’. ‘Moonflower’ and ‘Little one’ were nicknames from Alastor. Charlie and Vaggie’s nicknames for Ruby were the usual ‘Sweetie/Sweetheart’. Niffty would call her ‘Baby bird’ and ‘Little gem’. 

To top it all off, Angel called her ‘Sweetness’ and ‘Precious’. All those names, Ruby didn’t care if anybody made fun of her nicknames. 

Speaking of which, she really missed everyone at the Hotel. 

‘They must be worried sick about me. . .’ 

“Am I. . .Am I the only human down here?”

Now, that’s a question that Pixel didn’t really know the answer to. From the many Demons he’s come across, the only people resembling anything close to Humans were the Magne family. 

At least, when their Demon forms weren’t out. But aside from King Lucifer and his family, Ruby was the only real Human down in this death trap of a city.

“That’s a question I can’t really answer, Kitten. I mean, aside from King Lucifer and his family, they’re the only thing that’s close to resembling a Human. When they don’t go full Demon on you.”  
Ruby averted her eyes to the side before feeling a gentle arm wrap around her shoulder, pulling her into a covered, yet cool wool body.

“But Human or not, you’re you. Nobody can take that away from you.” 

Feeling soft, caring fingers go through the locks of her short hair, Ruby hugged her plush bear to her chest. But the words replayed over and over in her head as she felt a small smile stretch onto her face. 

Looking up at the sound of wings, Pixel caught sight of a familiar set of red, casino styled wings. The last time he saw those wings was down at the bar, drinking one night. 

“Husk!” 

The Anthropomorphic Cat Demon landed on the rooftop as Ruby got up and ran over to him, nearly knocking him over in a hug. Hesitant at first, the desk clerk and bartender of the Hotel, held the small child close. 

“And here I thought I might never find you. Nearly gave everybody back at the Hotel a scare, Kiddo. Thanks for looking after her, Pix.” 

Bright orange irises locked with a single red iris as Pixel straightened his standing posture and stuffed his hands into his shorts pockets. 

“Poor kid got lost. Nearly attacked by a trio of bastards in an alleyway. Did what anybody would’ve done.”

Husk scooped Ruby up as his wings unfolded, getting ready to take off again and get on back to the Hotel. Otherwise, Husk might have to tell Vaggie or Charlie why it took him so long, even though they were probably out looking for Ruby as well. 

“I’ll let the Princess know who saved her. Say Hi to Rue for me.” 

Getting a nod from Pixel, Husk took off to the skies, the wind beginning to blow a bit of a picked up pace. Looking back at that same time rooftop, Pixel was gone. 

“I’m sorry, Husk. . .”

Looking down at Ruby, the sharp claw like fingers rubbed soothing circles up and down Ruby’s small back. ‘Poor kid must feel guilty for giving everyone quite a scare. . .’  
“S’not your fault, Kiddo. You just got lost is all. ‘M just glad that you didn’t get killed by those troublemakers in the alleyway. It was a good thing that Pixel found you when he did. Otherwise, you’d be Demon target practice by now.”

With the Hotel in sight, Husk’s wings began flapping to get a smooth landing. Ruby’s low heel dress shoes tapped the ground when she was placed down on her feet once again. 

“Better head inside. Who knows if Princess and the others are back yet.” 

Holding Husk’s hand, Ruby returned back into the home that she had made over the last two weeks. Charlie and Vaggie were nowhere to be seen but the sight of the Radio Demon caught Ruby’s attention. 

“Ruby, my little moonflower! Thank Goodness you’re safe.” 

Bending down, Alastor’s burgundy gloved hands with hot pink at the fingertips, tousled Ruby’s locks of hair in a loving manner as the small child hugged his knees. Husk in the meantime, retreated to behind the bar and resumed his duty from before.

“Yo Al, Where’s Princess?”

The Radio Demon side glanced at Husk a quick second before diverting his attention back to Ruby. 

“Charlie had left a little while after I came back. She and Vaggie went to go look for the little one. May I ask, who found her?”

That guilt kept eating away at Ruby. She made everyone worry about her and she couldn’t call for help or ask for them to come get her. 

“Pixel. He’s an old friend of mine from the bar. Found the kid in an alleyway, nearly about to end up in a body bag.”

As grim as it sounded, it was the truth. Husk took a silent breath before continuing.

Well, I’m sure they’ll be happy to see her. Is Legs still here?” 

Hearing the mention of Angel’s nickname from Husk, Ruby chewed on her lower lip a bit. Since she had grown close to the Adult star the two weeks she had been here, hearing Angel being a nervous wreck killed Ruby on the inside. 

“Angel? Hmm. . .From what I recall, he’s been up in his room for a while now.”  
Looking back down at Ruby, Alastor then scooped her up into his arms and began walking off, upstairs to her room. 

“Now then, my dear. I’d advise you to get yourself cleaned up. Want to look presentable for when the others come back.”

Placing her down on her own two feet once they were up to the second floor, Ruby gave a soft wave to Alastor before disappearing into her room. Alastor gave a wave back before vanishing back downstairs to stick around and let Charlie and Vaggie know that Ruby is back in the hotel safe and sound. 

Quickly cleaning herself up from the dirt and remnants of the old apartment and the alleyway, Ruby readjusted her hot pink bow and gave a small smile of satisfaction to her reflection in the mirror. It felt good to be clean again but it’ll be even better to see Angel and the others again. 

Quietly opening and closing her door, Ruby immediately stopped when seeing a pair of long, fashionable boots. Looking up, she was met with the shocked face of Angel Dust. Ruby held her bear close to her heart as she gave him a sweet, innocent little smile. 

“Hi, Angel-”

Ruby had been caught off when she was immediately picked up and held close to the spider film star, her sky, baby blue eyes dilated a tiny bit. The grip that Angel had on her was tight but not bone crushing tight. 

“A Angel?”

~END CHAPTER SIX~


	8. C H A P T E R  S E V E N : W A T C H F U L  E Y E S

“A Angel?”

That question rang clear in Ruby’s voice as she side eyed Angel a bit. She knew that he had probably been worried the most over her since he’s the one who likes to spend the most time with Ruby. 

When he’s not busy going through a hellish night by Valentino. The thought of that moth son of a bitch left a bitter taste in his mouth. But God, was Angel happy that Ruby was home, safe and in one piece.

If anything had happened to her and it was connected to that sick bastard. . .Oh, Angel would be burning with rage. 

“Scared the living daylights outta me. . .”

Ruby’s eyes turned sorrowful as she stayed in his embrace. She knew it. If she had asked one of the hotel members to take her out and into the city to familiarize herself with the area, then this never would’ve happened. She would’ve been back to the hotel with no problem. 

“I’m just glad you’re safe, Precious.”

The silent close of the main door in the lobby closing and disheartened chatter could be heard from downstairs. Charlie and Vaggie were back.  
“Well, let’s head on down, Sweetness. Seems as though the Princess and Vags are back.”

In the main lobby, Charlie and Vaggie’s current mood was sorrow. They looked all over for Ruby with no such luck. It wasn’t until they heard the clicking and clacking of high heel boots that both of them perked up. Coming downstairs, resting in Angel’s arms, was Ruby. 

“Ruby!”

Ruby looked up from Angel’s fluff and slid out of Angel’s arms just as Charlie came rushing over. Vaggie let out a sigh of relief before calmly tailing behind her girlfriend.

“Charlie was about to split the city in two when we were out looking for you.”

Vaggie stood next to Charlie as she hugged Ruby close. Since Charlie is the Princess of Hell, no doubt in Ruby’s mind that she would’ve done that. 

“Well, all I care about is that you’re safe and still in one piece.” 

Vaggie glanced over at the bar where Husk had been moments earlier but saw no sign of Husk. Did he sneak out or something? If he did, then why didn’t she hear the front door open? 

“Hey, wasn’t Husk here just a minute ago?”

Looking over at the now empty bar, there were no signs of Husk anywhere. Which was weird since he made no noise of leaving. For a guy like that, he could move like a panther: Quiet and unnoticed.

The bar wasn’t overly crowded with people for once. Of course, there were still regulars that would laugh and chug back alcohol until they passed out or stumbled out of the building, going to regret their decision in the morning. Or ogle at a beautiful girl before her date knocks a few teeth out with his fist. 

“One Americano, please.”

The bartender behind the table nodded and went off to make the cocktail. Husk let out a gruff sigh, running his hand over his tired eyes. 

“Pretty rare to see you in this kind of bar, Husk. Thought the Hotel where you’re working had its own bar.”  
Looking to the side, Pixel slid into the stool next to Husk’s seat. How Pixel knew that Husk was gonna be out drinking and especially at this kind of bar, it confused Husk to no end until the bartender asked what he could get for Pixel after serving Husk his Americano, getting a quiet ‘Thanks’ in return.

“One Devil Springs Vodka, please.”

Off again was the bartender. Husk took a sip of the beverage in front of him, the alcohol burned going down his throat but in a good way. Pixel thanked the bartender for his drink and one sniff of that made Husk look over at Pixel. 

“That sure is strong.”

Pixel nodded in agreement and proceeded to wet his whistle with the drink as it went down smoothly. Vodka was a strong alcoholic beverage but it didn’t really seem to affect Pixel from how it was or how strong of a smell that wafted off of it.

“Figured I’d come out and get a drink. I promised Rue I wouldn’t be gone for too long.”

Husk hummed quietly in response to what Pixel had to say. After today’s little shenanigans, Husk just really hoped that the kid would be safe from any more danger. However, a little voice in the back of his skull said that’s not gonna happen. 

“Been hearing around from a couple of regulars around here that Valentino is gonna start causing some trouble again.” 

Oh, that name. Husk remembered whenever the mention of Valentino came up, Angel Dust’s face would turn grim. Years of abuse and neglect can crush your spirit. 

“Well, he is an Overlord. Not many people want to mess with someone like him. Unless they wanna end up in a body bag the next morning.” 

Pixel couldn’t help but agree there. But from what he remembered hearing about in passing conversation, the target that Valentino had put a price on was someone from the Hotel. Who it was never came up.  
The static on the mirror flickered and buzzed a little bit as a shadowed figure hummed in thought. Switching back to the Hotel, the image of Angel Dust smiling and laughing with Ruby, who was currently snuggled up next to him, began to play. 

“I don’t get it, Val. Can’t we just go and snatch that little brat now?” 

Coming into the room was Vox, who snarled in disgust when seeing how cheery and smiling Ruby was being with Angel Dust at the moment. All that sweetness nearly made Vox gag.

“Patience, Voxy. Patience. You and Velvet will get your fun soon enough. But right now, figuring out how that little bitch is Angel’s kryptonite is our top priority.”

As much as Vox wanted to argue, he couldn’t. He did have a good point. If they could get the answer as to why Angel would want to throw away his after life for a small little tyrant such as Ruby was what they needed to figure out at the moment. Otherwise, using this kid against Angel would turn into a total flop.

“Just as long as the little starlight doesn’t notice how we’re watching her from any mirror, she’ll be dropped at our feet at any time now.”

A sickening grin stretched onto Vox’s face, the mere thought of Ruby screaming while torture rained down upon her played like a movie in his brain. Volts of electricity coursed through his veins at the image of Angel crying his eyes out over the loss of his little friend.

“Keep having a sharp eye on the little one, Vox. The first opportunity we get, snatch that brat and bring her right back here.”

Making a mental note of these instructions, Vox nodded and quietly walked out of the room, that sinister smile still stretched onto his face as he hummed to himself. Turning back to the mirror, hot pink eyes narrowed before a dark chuckle rang out.

With a snap of his fingers, a puff of red smoke appeared and a cigarette had been conjured up. Taking the cigarette in between his fingers, a long puff of dark, red smoke escaped into the air.  
Angel Dust had picked Ruby up and began carrying her to her room, the small child resting in his arms had drifted off to dream land once again. Once tucking her into bed and leaving, the image paused. 

Another dark chuckle echoed off of the walls in the room before a low, gruff sigh followed shortly after.

“Keep having your fun, little one. You’re gonna find out soon enough that Hell has no place for a little bitch like you.”

The awful sound of glass being cut as a giant X had been placed over Ruby’s innocent, sleeping face. Unaware that she was now the target of an Overlord. 

~END CHAPTER SEVEN~


	9. C H A P T E R  E I G H T : D E V I L ' S  D E A L

Landing on top of a casino building, the flashing lights being no match for Pixel’s shadowed form. Letting out a silent huff of air from all the running and jumping he had done, Pixel really wished that he had gone the normal way. 

Resting his arms on the railing while looking past the large letters and bright, neon lights from the sign that would attract anybody who gambled or adored any kind of entertainment, just to turn in what money they have. Pixel didn’t really find the need to gamble since Rue would get mad if he came home, penniless.

Unlike his wolf in sheep’s clothing ‘wife’, Bareea, Pixel wasn’t as hungry as she is for money. Sure, his job does involve payment for succeeding in killing or capturing a target, but he wasn’t like her. A person who loves who’ll do anything for a quick cash grab.

Thinking about that bitch made Pixel want to gag. After the web of abuse and lies she’s pulled on him, the only escape Pixel had was taking him and their daughter Rue out of that evil woman’s clutches. 

The buzzing of his phone snapped him back into reality. Fishing around his pocket, Pixel saw that the number was non recognizable. Probably another prank caller. 

“Yeah?”

If anything, Pixel wasn’t really in a mood to play any kind of childish mind games. 

“This the Demon Target?”

The voice on the other end had almost a Brooklyn accent. Pixel looked across the way, the top of some buildings were what the Cyborg Goat Demon had fixated his eye on. A bunch of old buildings used for nothing more than turf war target practice.

“Depends on who’s asking.”

Resting his lower back on the railing while crossing his hooved feet over one another and resting one arm over his stomach, Pixel held the phone close to his ear, really wishing that the moron on the other side would hurry up and spit out what he wanted.

“Who I am ain’t important. My boss has a job that he’d like you to take.” 

A job huh? If it’s anything that Pixel likes, it’s a job. Especially if the job is a bit of a challenge. He wanted to see just who the target is first before giving the final verdict. 

“. . .What kind of job?”

An almost amused chuckle could be heard from the other line. This little bastard thinks it’s funny to waste other people’s time? Right now, Pixel was anything but amused.

“That’s what I like to hear. The task is to kidnap somebody. Pay is good. All you’s gotta do is deliver the target safely to my boss and your good as paid. Think you can handle it?”

Feeling his phone buzz, Pixel looked down to see an image had come in. Clicking on the notification, what Pixel saw on the phone made his blood chill as he recognized who was in the photo.

Little Ruby, smiling sweetly and looking to be having a good time. No. He couldn’t do this! If he hadn’t met Ruby, maybe he’d reconsider. But this little girl. . .Pixel couldn’t betray her trust. It’d just break him drastically if he did. 

“I’m gonna have to pass.”

Almost immediately, he could hear the faint sound of someone shouting angrily. It almost made him laugh but he decided to just smirk, seeing as though he just made the ‘boss’ angry. 

“I’d reconsider your decision, my good man. Unless you want to know what it’s like to be hunted down like the wild little animal you are and feel endless amounts of torture, then I’d be extremely careful with what you say, you fuck wit."

Pixel couldn’t help but start laughing. That was cute. Very cute. Someone actually threatened him. Please, he had gotten so many threats before, it was all nothing more than just something to have a good laugh at. He was laughing so hard, tears were streaming down his face. Plus, his stomach began hurting from laughing and bending over, howling with laughter.

“Ey, I’m being serious here, you yakking little hyena!”

Taking a breath to calm down and using one of his thin fingers to wipe away the tears, Pixel let out an amused little scoff. 

“Heh. As am I. Nice try though, I’d almost taken your deal there. Now, if you’re done wasting my time, tell your boss thanks, but no thanks.” 

Hanging up, Pixel couldn’t help but chuckle again. He was unaware of how much trouble he was in with the voice’s boss. How he couldn’t see the absolute anger rising and blowing out of Valentino’s head like those old bendy-hose cartoons people use to watch back in the day.

‘Dad? What’s up? Are you on your way home?’

Getting on the phone with Rue, Pixel figured that the threat he had just received was most likely the guy blowing smoke out of his ass. He wasn’t gonna take it seriously. But just to be safe. 

“Yeah. Listen, sweetie. Before you turn in for the night. I’m gonna need you to pack a few things. You’re gonna be staying at the Hotel. It’s just for a few days.” 

Pixel didn’t want her to become a target like Ruby. Sure, Rue could handle herself. He’s seen it but as a father, he valued his daughter’s life as she was the only one he had left. Not a snowball’s chance in Hell would he consider that devil of a woman the only one Rue would have left. 

‘The Hotel? Why?’

“I got a call from some whacko. I don’t think he’s being serious but I’m just playing it safe for right now.”

The slamming of fists and a low growl startled the two shadowed Demons in the room. Valentino had a look of pure rage written all over his face as he growled and punched a nearby wall, a clean hole sticking out. The two Demons clung to each other and began shaking like a couple of leaves, fear dripping down in the bullets of sweat. 

“How I want to rip that demon a new one all because he decided to go all noble. He’ll learn soon enough that it’s not nice to turn down an offer from me!”

The air in the room chilled, it was cold enough to turn someone into a block of ice. It wasn’t until the phone caught the attention of the Overlord pimp. Maybe it was that bastard assassin, calling to change his mind. 

The voice on the other end was feminine, having a little bit of a malicious charm to it. The faint sound of cars and gunshots as well as a woman screaming could be heard. 

“I may be of service to you.”

“May I ask who is calling?”

An amused little chuckle escaped a shadowed figure, ice blue eyes gleamed before glancing up at the unaware Goat Demon while a pointed smile shone in the darkness. 

“That’s not important. Just consider me the key to helping you with your little. . .problem.”

Now, this amused Valentino. If this mystery caller was indeed going to help him make the allusive Demon Target drop to his feet and feel pain like nobody has ever felt before, then he had to give them a chance. Stepping close to the window, his reflection stared out to the city while the little lackeys of Vox’s ran out the door, like headless chickens.

“But just so we’re clear, don’t expect me to just hand you his location for free. I’m a woman who has class. If I see even a scratch on him, so help me. . .” 

A deep, guttural chuckle sang its way out of Val’s throat and into the air like the smoke from his cigarettes that he can easily conjure up. A woman who’s willing to do this for a price. Now, this will be a show to watch. A sinister, sharp pink teeth grin danced onto Valentino’s face. 

“Really, I should be able to go after the little insect. If you’ll let me.” The woman adds.

Now, that didn’t sit right with Valentino. If anything, he could get the little bastard faster with a couple of his men. But he’ll make sure they don’t rough him up if she wants him in one piece. Otherwise, this deal is null and void.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to disagree on that part. You see, I don’t allow clients to interfere with my business. If anybody will be after that little thorn in my side, my men can handle the job."

A velvety hum of disapproval could be heard on the other end of the line followed by a sigh of acceptance. This will be so much fun to finally see the Demon Target suffer as it would seem this mysterious woman had history with the paid for hire assassin. Though it didn't seem to be hatred, she seemed giddy in fact. Like a teenage lover.

“Consider it a done deal.”

Pressing end on the call that he had with his little anonymous caller, Valentino placed his phone back into the pocket of his long yet fashionable hot pink mixed with fur lined coat. His gold tooth glimmered sadistically in the dim lighting of the room.

“Keep that little attitude and your head held high, you ungrateful little bastard. Hell’s gonna hit you hard in the stomach when your mask finally comes off.”


	10. F A N A R T  C O N T E S T!

Hello there, everyone!

This is just a quick little announcement that I'm making. So, for a few days, I've noticed that a lot of you guys really seem to like this story. So, my small team and I decided ' why not through a little contest?'

That's right folks, this will be a fanart contest! If you'd like to participate in this, you're more than welcome to do so!

How this is gonna work is that we're leaving it up to you guys if you want draw one of the characters from the story in your own style or you want to take a certain scene and recreate it in some sort of way. Be creative! We'll look over all the submissions that come our way!

The deadline is the 27th, so you guys have a good amount of time to think of what you want to do and what you want to draw. Where the contest will be held is undecided at the moment. We'll get back to you on that. 

Also, if you want to do more to contribute to the story than just entering the contest, the link to the Discord Server is on the first chapter of this site. 

We can't wait to see what you guys come up!

Update: One of the members of my team made a Gmail account. However, only our Discord names are visible for you guys. The email is CrimsonDustBook@gmail.com Anything that's NSFW or not appropriate or it violates any of the rules, we will delete your email and block you. And NO negativity in there either!

R U L E S:

1\. Please not too much gore. Yes, we know it's Hell. There's practically blood everywhere but some people may have a fear or slight discomfort at the sight of blood. So, not too much gore okay?

2.No lewding Ruby! I will NOT tolerate that! If I see it, you will be disqualified from the contest!

3\. No stealing anybody's artwork. It's not cool and a lot of people put a lot of time and effort into a piece of art. You will be kicked from the contest for that as well.

4\. Be creative! If you want to do something simply other than fan art, let us know! But please don't make it OP.

5\. You are allowed to post as many pieces of fanart as you want. 

I believe that's it. Good luck, everyone!


	11. C H A P T E R  N I N E : F A I L E D  A M B U S H (Part 1)

(The scene that has to do with Pixel, one of the co-owners of my Discord server gave a helping hand in writing that scene. It'll happen after an event surrounding Rue and Ruby. Also, this chapter is gonna be in two parts.)

“This is unexpected, Rue.” 

Standing in the lobby area of the hotel with a bag full of necessities to last her just a few days was Rue. Hunch over, resting his arms on the bar while staring her down was Husk, his long brown, dipped bright red, inky black and normal white tail swishing back and forth in a slow waltz.

“Yeah. . .Sorry to drop in at an unexpected time. But Dad should be here soon. He’s just grabbing a few things from home. We’re on the verge of losing our place, so we’ll just be crashing here for a little bit is all.”

That was probably the biggest lie that Rue had ever told. She couldn’t risk her father’s identity as the Demon Target to anybody. Of course, she hated lying to Husk since he was an old drinking buddy of her Dad’s but still. It was a necessary evil.

A soft yet guttural hum fled out of Husk’s mouth as his ears perked up when hearing feet that sounded. . . like running shoes. Looking over his shoulder, he caught a glimpse of young Ruby, wearing her trademark hot pink and white dress.

“Rue!”

A warm smile pranced its way onto the Goat and Wolf Hybrid Demon as she bent down and was careful not to fall back when Ruby had knocked into her, her arms wrapping around her neck. Tousling her hair a little bit, Ruby took in the calming scent of mist of a waterfall combined with the sweet scent of pineapple. 

“Good to see you too, Darlin’.”

The buzzing of quiet static could be heard and Rue’s ears perked up when the sound came into the room. As Ruby looked over her shoulder and Rue passed her, the Radio Demon came into view from a cloud of smoke.

“I thought I heard some commotion down here. Ruby, my little trinket, would you kindly introduce your friend here?”

The sound of clicking and clacking of high heel boots followed by a flurry of light footsteps could be heard from the kitchen. Niffty and Angel emerged into the room but then stopped when seeing Rue and Ruby with Alastor.

“We ain’t interruptin’, are we?”

All three of them glanced at each other before giving a simultaneous ‘No.’ Forgetting that Rue was behind her, Ruby was about to start but saw no sign of Charlie or Vaggie. 

“Has anybody seen Charlie or Vaggie?”

Clueless expressions fell upon the Spider Film Star, The Cyclops Clean Freak and the Grinning Eerily Radio Demon before the bartender and front desk clerk spoke up. 

“Had some business to do. Both ladies stepped out right before Rue came over.”

Husk’s expression was blank, not really paying attention to the looks he was getting. Angel had been gawking at Husk for possibly a good minute before a teasing little smirk stretched onto his face.

“When were you gonna tell us about your little mystery friend, Kitty?” 

Angel teased in a joking manner, obviously just poking fun at the Cat Demon. Husk halted his hand movements before letting out a gruff sigh. 

“I just know her Dad is all. He and I meet for drinks sometimes. That a problem, Legs?”

An amused little chuckle escaping the Spider Demon, holding his hands up in defense. It was just a little bit of harmless fun that Angel was having. Nothing more, nothing less. 

“No need to get your tail in a twist, Kitten Whiskers. Just some harmless fun is all I’m having.”

A bit of an annoyed growl huffed its way out of Husk’s throat before his hands continued cleaning the glass. Ruby was kind of glad that Husk didn’t get angry at Angel. She really didn’t wanna deal with a fight breaking out in the hotel. Brushing a few strands of her honey blonde hair out of her sky baby blue eyes, Ruby quietly cleared her throat.

“Anyway. This is Rue. Her and her Dad were the ones who rescued me from the Demons in the alleyway.”

Rue rubbed the back of her neck, a bit of a bashful smile on her face. Well, really it was her Dad who saved Ruby from the Demons. Rue was just there to keep an eye on her and make sure that she at least woke up.

“Well, if anything, my Dad deserves all the credit, Sweetie. I was there to make sure you were okay.”

The memories of that day began to brightly burn back into her mind. However, Ruby must’ve passed out from the initial shock and fear of the Demons that loomed over her like monsters. Last thing she remembered was waking up in that old apartment with Rue by her side. 

“It was because of both of you that I managed to get back here safely. So, I have to thank you for that.”

A sweet, innocent smile printed onto Ruby’s face. If you took a picture of that heart warming smile, it was something that would be held dear over the years to come.

“Well, at the moment, the owner and the co-owner of the Hotel are currently out. But let me introduce everybody.”

Ruby decided to start going down the line, going Niffty down. She figured that Niffty wouldn’t mind since when Ruby first met her, she was such a little ball of energy. And to this day, she still is. But along with Angel Dust and Alastor, Niffty is the one who’s there to help Ruby with any bad dreams or any rainy days the child may have. She comes around if Angel or Alastor are not around. Or. . .if anybody isn’t around.

“Rue, this is Niffty. She takes care of the Hotel, keeping it nice and clean. Alastor was the one who introduced Niffty to me.” 

A sweet ‘Hi’ as well as a wave was given to Rue from Niffty. Rue gave a gentle wave. But when Rue heard the name ‘Alastor’, she had to imagine that the tall deer Demon was the owner of that name. The way his permanent grin stuck out the most unnerved her a little bit. 

“Alastor! Pleasure to meet you, my dear. I do have to thank you for taking care of little Ruby.”

His old fashioned, radio announcer voice rang loud and clear in the air. His general mannerisms and aura that radiated off of him gave Rue a bit of an intrigued feeling. However, the gruesome tales surrounding the Radio Demon didn’t seem to click.

Ruby then went and hugged the boots of Angel Dust, who bent down and scooped her up, hugging her close with a content smile on his face, similar to how he would hug Fat Nugget. Rue could feel a very strong bond with Ruby and Angel.

“And last, but definitely not least, this is Angel Dust. He’s the first patient of the Hotel. He was with Charlie and Vaggie when they found me.”

The memory of that day shone brightly into Ruby’s mind. Of course, it was in bits and pieces but what Ruby could remember was the comfort of the fluff from Angel Dust brushing against her body and the gentle strokes of his hands running through her honey, blonde strands of hair.   
“I have to agree with Smiles. Thanks for looking after the poor kid.”

An elbow into the ribs was his reward from Alastor, who Angel shot a dirty glare at before setting Ruby down on her feet once again. The sight made Rue quietly chuckle to herself. 

“Well, it’s nice to meet all of you. I have to thank you for letting my Dad and I stay here for a couple of days.” 

“Hate to be a bit of a buzzkill but I gotta get on the road. Otherwise, my boss is gonna have my head on a silver platter if I’m late. See you in a little bit, Precious.” 

Giving Ruby another hug and wave to everybody else, Angel soon disappeared from the lobby and out the door of the Hotel. Ruby turned back around to see that Alastor disappeared into a puff of dark smoke and Niffty had scurried off upstairs.

“Alastor has a Radio Broadcast that he leaves for and Angel works in a studio. Um. . . Husk, can I go outside for a while?”

Seeing Ruby pull the puppy dog eyes on him, Husk gave Rue a look that was asking her ‘Can you keep an eye on her?’ 

“As long as Rue goes with you. I’ll let Charlie know when she and Vaggie get back.”

What Husk doesn’t realize is he basically just let those two fall into a trap when Ruby cheered and went outside with Rue to play a bit. It all happened so fast. . . Not even ten minutes had passed and the muffled sound of a scream alerted Husk. 

Dashing out the door, the Anthropomorphic Cat Demon was too late as a car began speeding off with Ruby in the back, looking absolutely terrified and calling for him to help them while Rue was in the backseat with her, knocked unconscious. Something caught Husk’s eye while the car disappeared. His shadow cast over a dropped phone before he picked it up and looked in the direction that the car went.

“Shit. . .”

Pixel pushed open the door to his home, and immediately paused in the middle of the doorway. A second or two passes before he trudged inside, the fur on the back of his neck standing up. Something was wrong and he could feel it. He stayed calm though, and went through his normal routine. It was when he was in the kitchen, opening the fridge door, that it happened.

The goat demon whipped around, summoning his sword, and sliced right through a large demon that had tried to sneak up behind him, killing him instantly. When he noticed the bull was wearing Valentino’s colors, was when two other demons leaped out of nowhere and tried to grab him.

He wasn’t having it, and sliced off one of their arms before decapitating them. The other one faltered at the gruesome sight of his partner losing his head, literally, and Pixel took this chance to slice into his leg. Once the third demon, a rabbit, collapsed on his back, Pixel stood over him with the point of his word at his neck.

“How did you find me?” 

He growls as he glares down at the demon.

The rabbit doesn’t say anything, which prompts Pixel to dig one of his hooved feet into the wound on his leg, making him scream in pain. When that didn’t work, the goat decided to stab in the rabbit’s arm with his sword and slowly dragged it down through the bones and muscles.

“A wolf told us! A white wolf with a red wool coat! She made a deal with Valentino!”

The rabbit finally blurts out as he cries in pain. Pixel freezes and stares at the rabbit, an icy cold fear gripping at his heart. It had to be her… it had to be Bareea. Oh God, he needed to call Rue!

Before the goat could make a move though, a loud bang was heard and he felt a pain in his shoulder that was agony. He stumbles forward, losing his grip on his sword as he grabs at his flesh shoulder. A gunshot. Someone else was in here too.

He instinctively ran into the living room and leaped over the couch as another shot went off. The goat grits his teeth at the pain as he hears the rabbit and another male voice arguing about ‘damaging the cargo’ when the boss had given them strict instructions not to. Oh that pissed him off to no end.

A metal arm sweeps under the couch and feels around frantically as footsteps draw closer until Pixel found what he was looking for. When the rabbit demon rounded the couch, limping, another shot rang out and he fell, a bullet between his eyes. Not a holy bullet, unfortunately, he would be able to respawn.

Pixel stands up, holding his shoulder and looks around for the fourth demon, only to be grabbed by his metal arm. He tried to shoot at whoever grabbed him, but the pistol was knocked from his hand to the ground. As he started to struggle more, the bigger let out an angry growl… and ripped off his mechanical arm. Pixel screamed as he felt his wires sparking and fell to the ground in a heap. The bigger demon grabbed him by the back of his scarf and started to drag him out, but Pixel wasn’t done yet.

With a great effort, he twisted his body, choking himself on his scarf in the process, lifted a hoof, and bucked it into the demon’s groin with all of his strength. Once Pixel was released, he loosened his scarf to gasp in a breath and fumbled for his dropped pistol. He grabbed it and fired at the demon blindly, successfully hitting him somewhere as the demon had yelled in pain. The goat then ran, while the demon was stunned, back to the kitchen and retrieved his dropped sword. Pixel whipped around while he swung it, slicing into the bigger demon’s chest. 

The demon fell to his knees while holding his chest and looked up just as Pixel drove his sword right into his skull. 

A good few seconds of silence goes on before Pixel lets out a pained noise and collapses to his knees, using his sword for support. His right arm, the mechanical one, was laying somewhere in the living room, while his left shoulder had a damned bullet buried in it. He’d be lying is he said he hadn’t been through worse, but it still fucking hurt!

Pixel took a good minute to compose himself as he sat there panting in pain. Finally, he managed to muster the strength to pull his phone out and dial Rue’s number. No answer. His heart dropped and that icy cold returned as he dialed the next number on his contact list. 

Husk.


	12. C H A P T E R  T E N : F A I L E D  A M B U S H ( P A R T  2 )

Pixel stumbles into the hotel panting and holding his mechanical arm tightly. He had grabbed it as an afterthought. The moment Husk saw the state he was in, he cursed and rushed over to get him to sit down on a nearby couch.

Everyone, except for Angel, had come back to the hotel when Husk called them and told them what had happened. Pixel had barged in as Charlie had been freaking out, while Vaggie had been keeping her calm. Though the sight of the beaten up goat demon did not help with the princesses nerves whatsoever.

As Niffty dressed his wounded shoulder, having to pull the bullet out, Pixel finally spoke.

“Where’s my daughter?”

He growled as he looked at Husk, a dangerous aura emanating from him, making Niffty pause and shudder a little as she wrapped gauze around his shoulder.

As much as it pained Husk to say this, he needed to let Pixel know that Rue and Ruby had become victims, stuck in a web of abuse and manipulation.

“It happened way too fast, Pix. . .All I saw was the back of the car and Ruby. . .” 

A grimace, both in tone and facial expression, etched onto Husk’s face. How Valentino knew where the girls were still struck confusion in him. But he was gonna have to inform Angel as to what happened. 

“. . .They took ‘em, Pixel. Both of ‘em.”

It was as if Pixel had been electrocuted. Those words were like silver bullets, piercing his skin. A mix of rage and shock with a sprinkle of fear had come along and left hooked him in the face. Rage for Bareea, obviously making a deal with those bastards. Fear for both Rue and Ruby, falling into the hands of crooked monsters. And Sadness, thinking of failing as a father and keeping Rue safe. 

“I’m gonna fucking kill that bitch!”

Immediately, Husk had to hold the man back, Niffty jumping back in time as he jumped up. Seeing Husk being able to hold Pixel back showed that Husk was pretty strong and he could understand that Pixel was angry. That bitch of a ‘wife’ really crossed the line but right now, Pixel was in no condition to go after anybody. 

“You hearing yourself right now, man? You’re good as dead as soon as you step out that door! If you go, you’d be playing right back into her hands! Look, I know you’re pissed, but you’re in NO way to go back out there!” 

Gripping Pixel’s shaking shoulders, Husk’s argument was true. If he were to go back out there, he’d wind up in an alleyway, dead most likely. But he needed to save Rue and Ruby. He had done a good job at keeping that two faced vixen away from him and their daughter and now, he’d feel like such a failure if he didn’t do anything.

Wrapping an arm around his shoulder, Pixel’s eye screwed shut as his face was buried into the fur of Husk’s shoulder while gentle pats were given to the grieving father. It killed him to see Pixel like this. And Husk would do everything in his power to get both of them back, even if it killed him. Again. 

“Who are you talking about?”

Vaggie asks as she crosses her arms and narrows her eyes at Pixel. She hadn’t met this man before and his sudden appearance at the hotel had her even more on edge then the recent kidnapping.

Pixel pauses and looks at everyone, hesitating. He feels Husk give his good shoulder a squeeze and sighs shakily.

“... I'm the Demon Target…”

The goat says, making everyone in the room falter and stare at him.

“Valentino tried to hire me into kidnapping Ruby. I refused and he made a deal with my bitch of an ex wife to find me. Happy?”

He growls.

Everyone stared at him in shock, even Husk. Out of anything Pixel could have told them, that was the last thing they had ever expected to hear. Though it did make sense now as to why Rue would have been taken too.

Husk stares at his friend uncertainly before sighing.

“Niffty, why don’t you take Pixel in the other room and finish cleaning up his wounds? I’ll be there in a second to fix his arm.”

Giving a solemn nod, the Anthropomorphic Cat Demon watched as the Assassin for hire went into the next room over with the small, Cyclops Demon who gently shut the door behind her. Vaggie came over, her arms crossed over her chest until she knew that the door was closed.

“I’m really sorry, Husk. But he can’t stay here.”

Husk immediately gave her a look of shock. Was she serious? This guy nearly got killed and left for dead while his daughter had been kidnapped by his deranged wife. There was no way he was gonna just throw him out. 

“Are you kiddin’ me? The guy’s daughter was just snatched off the street! He’s also in bad condition!”

“I know but he’s also a killer! What if he goes berserk and goes on a killing rampage?”

Vaggie argued and Husk knew that she wasn’t wrong. If it’s involving his daughter’s safety and wellbeing, then of course Pixel would might become a bit bloodthirsty. But he’s also injured, he nearly died for God’s sake!

A quiet sigh escaped from the Spanish speaking Moth Demon before she continued speaking. As much as she wanted to help this guy, her distrust in men wouldn’t really help with this.

“Just as long as you can keep him calm, then fine. But no matter what happens, if he goes out there to look for them, just bring them both back safe.”

Giving a nod to the co-owner of the hotel, Husk felt a comforting hand pat his shoulder before she made her exit over to Charlie, who was still upset over what had happened. Looking up at the doorway, Niffty got the hint and left the two alone, closing the door behind her.

Grabbing a wrench, Husk began fixing a quiet Pixel’s arm. The tension in the room was thick, you cut it with a knife. Pixel’s attention was out the window while Husk snuck a few glances at his very quiet yet silently mad friend.

“What the fuck was that?!”

Hearing that annoying, shrill voice on the phone, an annoyed sigh escaped Valentino as he pulled the phone away from him to avoid his eardrums bursting due to how loud this bitch was.

“You’re gonna have to be more specific on that.”

A little bit of mockery was mixed in the annoyance of his tone while his free hand tapped on the wooden surface of his desk. Unamused, shielded eyes looked down at his hot pink glove covered nails. Vox was checking his phone before looking at Valentino who pointed to the phone and began silently mocking her with his hand, getting a quiet yet glitched out chuckle from the TV Demon.

“The deal was to get him in one piece. Not fucking shoot a hole through him and ripping his arm off!”

Val strained an eye shut when Bareea screeched at him from the other side. A look from Vox that read ‘Does that bitch ever shut up?’, a shrug being Val’s answer before he rubbed his temples, a clear headache storming in his head. 

“I run a business here, bitch. Your target wouldn’t comply with my men. And now, you’ve given me a headache from all of your fucking screeching.”

An audible growl echoed from the phone as Bareea was gripping her phone so tightly, it was nearly broken in her fist from the amount of strength and rage boiling in her blood. She was beginning to really regret making this deal with that smug, two faced piece of shit.

“How about you go fuck yourself and die-”

Peaceful silence as Valentino gulped down some water and a few pills. A quiet sigh escaped the Overlord who closed his phone and groaned, rubbing his temples some more. Dealing with a client like that was a good enough reason for Val to just off himself with a holy bullet.

“‘Ey, Boss!”

So much for the peace and quiet. Both Vox and Val turned toward the door as a lean, yet crooked rat poked his head in the doorway. If they were back this early, it meant that they got the goods. Standing up from his chair, Valentino dusted himself off and cleared his throat. 

“Bring her in.” 

The rat disappeared for a quick second, his tail getting stuck in the door as a pained ‘Ow! Fuck!’ was muffled before the long, pink tail disappeared as well. The door opened again after a few seconds and Ruby was tossed in, who shot a nasty glare at the demons behind her, giving her evil little smiles. It wasn’t until she realized that Valentino’s shadow blanketed her body that she looked up and felt a cold sweat run down her face. The fear evident in her eyes as her blood chilled from the hot pink and one shiny gold tooth, evil smile stretched onto his face. The light from the room shone menacingly across his heart glasses.

“Well, well, well. Who do we have here?”

The crowd roaring with applause and whistles was muffled from his dressing room as a satisfied chuckle escaped Angel Dust. Running his fingers through his soft, white and pink fluff, he had a tired but satisfied smile stretched onto his face. Another show done successfully and he didn’t have to see Valentino’s ugly mug while he was on stage. 

Quirking a brow at the sound of his phone buzzing, A free arm grabbed it and even more confusion etched onto his face when he saw that it was a picture of Charlie, smiling while her name was on screen. She probably wanted to call and ask where he was at the moment.

“Hang on, Chuck. I’m about to leave right now.” 

A sigh danced its way into the air out of Angel’s throat before his fashionable, high heel boots rested comfortably over one another on the dressing table he used for his makeup and whatnot.

“Angel. . .”

This was new. The only time he heard the melancholy in her voice was when something bad happened. Immediately, he got serious and his feet dropped to the floor before he rushed up out of his seat. 

“Charlie? What happened?”

Charlie was doing her best not to break down on speaker. Biting down on her lower lip and swallowing the lump in her throat as her heart hurt from what she was about to say. 

“Angel. . .They took Ruby.”

A white noise. It was like his whole world had just cracked and fell like broken glass while his eyes widened, his pupils shrinking to almost disappearing as a shaky breath escaped his lips. Huge, crystal clear tears spilled from his eyes as Charlie’s voice had been downed out until he couldn’t hear her talking anymore.

A happy memory of Ruby smiling sweetly while looking back at him burned into his brain. ‘Bye Angel! Hope work goes well for you!’ He could still hear her sweet, innocent voice now. But now, the faint sounds of her screams and cries as well as horrible scenarios that followed them made the Adult Star grip the back of his dressing table, a gloved hand cupped his mouth as more tears spilled. 

From there, the sounds of his cries fell upon deaf ears.

~END CHAPTER TEN~


	13. C H A P T E R  E L E V E N : C L O C K ' S  T I C K I N G

  
  
(This is from one of the members on the Crimson Dust team! It's Among Us styled Ruby and Alastor. I love this!)  
  
  


“You see them yet, Husk?”   
  
The static from the walkie talkie in his hand buzzed as the air around his wings gave him flight while orange irises scanned all of the passing buildings and city streets, So far, still nothing. And the absolute guilt of not going out there with them. . .Not being able to go back in time and stop the kidnapping from ever happening. The concern dripped from Vaggie’s voice on the other side of the walkie talkie before the Cat Demon pushed the button on the walkie talkie.   
  
“No. I’ll keep looking though.”  
  
Silence fell over Husk as he gripped the device in his hand and a fire of determination burned brightly in his eyes. No matter what happened, he was gonna get them both back. Even if it killed him.  
  
“Hang on, girls. I’m comin’.”   
  
  
  
The throbbing pain from the wound on her head made Rue feel very fuzzy and the slight blurriness didn’t really help. But opening her eyes and blinking a few times, her vision restored only to see that was perched up on a very high building. Her eyes shot wide open, seeing that if she made one wrong move, the concrete sidewalk below was there to greet her with open arms. But thankfully, she wasn’t gonna get very far since there was a rope binding her wrists to the pole.   
  
The wind blew her tufts of hair with it as her irises desperately looked around, looking for something, anything really, to call out to for help. But she saw nothing but rooftops, just miles and miles of buildings. However, if she could remember clearly, there were memories of her being in and out of consciousness. The muffled sound of Ruby struggling against something, then an angry voice of a woman shouting at two Demons. But with this blow to the head, it was hard to really remember.  
  
Chewing on her lower lip, Rue had a dark feeling that Ruby was in grave danger. From what started coming back into her mind, the voice she heard was. . . her mother’s. That alone made her blood chill, knowing that that devil of a woman had found her yet again. But, never mind that. Back to Ruby. Rue could remember some Demons talking about Valentino and how he was pissed off that one of his dancers had a strong bond with a kid.  
  
Of course, it made sense that the child was Ruby. Yet, Rue had no idea that Angel was the dancer that Valentino was pissed off about. If her arms were free, she could pinch the bridge of her nose in slight annoyance.  
  
“Knowing that woman, of course she’d pull something like this. Dad’s obviously worried about me. . . I just really hope that Ruby’s okay.”  
  
Trying to move around a bit, Rue found it impossible. It was like the rope was cutting into her wrists from how tight the ropes were tied. Crap, it looks like they took her smaller caliber pistol that she had. The gentle wind made her curls barely soar into the air as a solemn expression was engraved on her face.   
  
  
  
  
“HAHAHA! Vox, look at the expression on her face! It’s too funny!”  
  
Velvet was kicking her legs while holding her stomach as she howled with laughter. The TV Demon’s light blue irises glanced over at Ruby, who was currently hanging precariously from a rope that was bound around her waist, her arms trapped inside. At the moment, the expression on her face screamed fear. It made a snicker escape the TV Demon at her pitiful expression.  
  
Ruby tried to break free from her bindings but it was to no avail unfortunately. These ropes were too tight and it was kinda digging into her wrists a small bit. She needed to get out of here and hurry back to the hotel.  
  
“Try all you want, kid. You’re not getting out of those anytime soon.”   
  
Ruby glared at Vox through her hair, her eyes burning red with anger and the expression of fear melted off of her face, rage replacing it. However, when those two laughing hyenas were currently lost in their humor, the silent sound of the rope starting to break caught Ruby’s attention. As soon as she’s on the floor, she’s booking it out of there!  
  
Then, the satisfying SNAP! of the rope caused both Vox and Velvet to stop laughing as they noticed that Ruby was now on the ground and booking it out the door.  
  
“Shit!”  
  
Ruby ran as fast as she could down the hallway. But she didn’t know which way to go. Quickly thinking, Ruby took off in a mad dash down another hallway, running as fast as her legs could carry her. Racing by, Ruby looked over her shoulder but saw no sign of Vox or Velvet anywhere. Looking back, Ruby beamed.   
  
The door to the outside was almost within arm’s reach. She was home free! Or so she thought. Before her fingertips could even touch the doorknob, the painful bolt of electricity attacked Ruby as she screamed in pain and then fell over, nothing but agony racing through her.   
  
Blinking in and out of consciousness, Ruby could see two pairs of legs. Then, the ground was no longer touching her small body as an inky black gloved hand grabbed her ankle and held her up.   
  
“You’re surely a feisty little one aren’t you? Voxxy, get the car ready. I think it’s about time to get our little guest moved to the club.”   
  
Ruby then felt the darkness start to seep in before she blacked out completely, dangling like a rag doll in Valentino’s hand.  
  
  
  
The sound of static filled the room in the hotel. Red irises burned a hole into the carpet that blanketed the floor. A quiet sigh flew out of the Radio Demon’s mouth. The only question running through his mind at the moment was. . .What would an Overlord want with a child like Ruby?  
  
Ruby hasn’t been in Hell for very long and already, she’s enemy number one on Valentino’s list. It sickened Alastor to the bitter end. But those deadly thoughts subsided into a warm, peaceful memory.   
  
‘Ruby, Darling? Might I ask why you’re up so late?’  
  
The first week that she had been here, Ruby was found in the same room that Alastor stands in now. The Radio Demon was about to take a nice evening walk when he saw a glow of light underneath the door and decided to investigate. The warm glow of the fire burning fiercely illuminated Ruby’s front as she faced it before she turned to look at the Radio Demon.  
  
Her clean, baby blue nightgown hugged her small, frail body perfectly while her soft, plush brown teddy bear rested in her arms for comfort. But then, her sky, baby blue eyes were downtrodden as she looked to a certain spot in the room.   
  
“I couldn’t sleep. I. . . had a nightmare.”  
  
Those last four words melted the Overlord’s heart. So that was it. Ruby had been plagued by horrible images conjured up by her brain that made them seem so real. Quietly strolling over to her, Alastor bent down and scooped the child into his arms. Finding a nearby couch, the Radio Demon fell into the couch’s embrace while holding onto Ruby.  
  
Gently using his nails without hurting her, Alastor began rubbing soft circles along the small of her back while stroking her honey, blonde locks of hair. A quiet little tune was being hummed underneath Alastor’s breath. From her face buried in his coat, Ruby looked up at him secretly before hearing the lullaby being hummed to her. It kind of reminded her of her mother’s lullaby.  
  
Black pupils glanced down to see that Ruby had slowly fallen asleep in his arms. Normally, Angel would be the one who was around Ruby a majority of the time. Those two were stuck together like Velcro. But this was a time when Angel was staying over at his job, working.  
  
“Back off to bed for you, young lady.”  
  
Getting up as slowly as he could without waking her, the door opened on its own, courtesy of the magic from the Radio Demon’s snapped fingers. The fire had been blown out as well, the coals taking the time to cool down from the blazing flames that scorched them just minutes prior.   
  
Walking out of that room, Alastor noticed something laying by the front door to the hotel. Stopping just before the door, his brow quirked upwards in slight confusion. Picking it up, what he saw made his pupils shrink.  
  
In his hands was a picture of what appeared to be the inside of a limo, the glasses for champagne making a tiny appearance. But what stood out the most to him, was Ruby. Unconscious and curled up in a fetal position. Flipping it over to the backside, the blood in his body began to boil as a scowl stretched onto his face at the mocking words on the back.  
  
“Clock’s ticking.” 


	14. C H A P T E R  T W E L V E : L A S T  R E S O R T

The worried, inky pools of Fat Nuggets burned up into the downtrodden eyes of the spider film star. The neon ‘Love’ with the unfinished heart at the end illuminated a small section of the dark purple ceiling and royal purple wall. Gentle strokes danced down Nugg’s small, pink back before repeating a few times. His small, round head and snout nuzzled against his owner’s fluff in a comforting manner. 

“Fanculo. . .questa è tutta colpa mia. . . (Fuck, this is all my fault. . .)” 

The sheer guilt and shamefulness came out strong in Italian. If only he had been there, none of this would be happening. Ruby would be back at the Hotel, safe and sound. But then, the mere anger began boiling inside of Angel’s body as he grabbed the nearest thing he could find and threw it at the wall.

“Dammit!” 

The sound of the pillow hitting the wall with a dull ‘thump’ fell upon deaf ears. Angel panted softly before hugging Fat Nuggets closer to his fluff. He could only hope and pray that the little sweetheart was still alive and fine. But memories of that horrible grin that stretched wickedly onto Valentino’s ugly mug of a face disgusted Angel to the bitter end. To think that fucker could stoop this low made Angel feel nothing but a spark of rage sparkle inside of him. 

Running a sharp nail from her cheek to her chin, Valentino’s grin stretched onto his face as he saw the sheer fear burning brightly in the flame behind Ruby’s eyes. But she couldn’t get away or scream for any help. Valentino’s slapped her so many times if she’s even tried. So, she remained silent but terrified. Now, Ruby could see why Angel didn’t like this guy from all the passing conversations she’s heard while either going to her room or to play outside.

The metallic taste of blood burned in her mouth and her head throbbed and pounded from getting slapped so many times. Everything hurt. Her hands felt numb with the tight rope digging into her wrists as she just sat there on the leather seat. At the moment, Valentino was on the phone while Vox had an arm resting on the seat, smirking wickedly down at Ruby. The metallic taste of blood burned in her mouth and her head throbbed and pounded from getting slapped so many times. Everything hurt. Her hands felt numb with the tight rope digging into her wrists as she just sat there on the leather seat. At the moment, Valentino was on the phone while Vox had an arm resting on the seat, smirking wickedly down at Ruby.

“Your workers won’t let me see my daughter.”

Ah, yes. That annoying bitch was back for round 3 it seemed. As much as it was getting to be a bit of a nuisance with this woman, Valentino had to remember that he kept coming back for the deals she offered. 

“Well, remind me again who it was who wanted your daughter up on that building in the first place.”

Valentino argued, getting a scoff from the other line. Bareea certainly wasn’t the one who said anything about putting her daughter up God knows how high and let the fear of falling and breaking every bone in her body course through her veins.

“First of all, that was your idea. And second of all, I said for you to put her up somewhere the Demon Target could see her. Not up so high that she ends up a puddle on the sidewalk if the ropes break!”

A quiet sigh as well as a pinch of the bridge of her nose escaped the annoyed Wolf Demon before a wicked little smirk stretched onto her face. Since Valentino loved taking deals, Bareea was certain that he wouldn’t pass this deal up. Especially since it would be a left hook to Pixel’s face for turning down his offer. 

“How about this, Valentino: Why not try and lure the bastard out and oh I don’t know, use my daughter as your little puppet dangling on strings just to get his guard down?”

Now, this. . . This was a deal worth taking. An interested hum grumbled in his throat as his hot pink glowing eyes flickered with desire behind those heart shaped glasses of his. But of course, there had to be a catch to this deal of hers. He wasn’t gonna do anything unless he got a reward.

“Sounds tempting. What’s in it for me?”

A devilish little chuckle rang into the air as Bareea looked down at her sharp claws, nails so long, they could cut through anything as if they were made out of butter.

“You get to pull the mask off the Demon Target. But that’s what I’m offering.”

Ooh, this was a good deal. Seeing that look of fear and defeat burning in the son of a bitch’s eyes while he laid there, in front of Valentino, a huge weight of pain wracking through his body made Valentino’s grin stretch wider onto his face. 

“Deal.”

The distant sound of cars honking and whatnot fell upon deaf ears. Bare legs tip tapped against the concrete sidewalk while fingers tapped against the small phone resting in a soft, dark as the deepest night, hand. Eight eyes soon looked up from the screen of the phone as the awful sound of tires screeching caught the attention of the Spider Demon, Arackniss. 

However, upon recognizing that limo, immediately Arackniss ducked into the shadows of an alleyway, out of sight as the door opened. Reddish pink scleras and black pupils glowed in the dark before widening softly, seeing Valentino walk in with Vox, who was carrying a tied up Ruby. Immediately, his stomach went into knots and his heart leapt up in his throat. He and Molly had the pleasure of meeting Ruby when she first came down to Hell, courtesy of Angel.

Once Ruby caught sight of Arackniss, fear screamed from her eyes in a burning flame. But before he could do anything, Ruby had disappeared into the building with Vox and Valentino.

“Oh, shit. . .!”

Scanning the tops of buildings and bustling streets, Husk sighed softly. He had been out looking for Ruby and Rue for almost an hour now and still, no sign of them. By now, he was really high up in the sky. Dark red clouds brushed against his feathers and his hands as Husk soared. Another deep sigh escaped the Cat Demon before his orange irises caught sight of something, tied up at the top of Valentino’s studio.

“Rue!”

Not wasting another minute, with a single big flap of his wings, up he went to the top. Rue could faintly hear the faint sound of wings flapping, growing closer before looking up and seeing Husk in front of her. Out of all that’s happened, she was really glad to see a friendly and familiar face.

“Hold still, kiddo. Let me get these bindings off of you. Where’s Ruby?”

But that one line made Rue’s heart sink down into her stomach when she looked over her shoulder back at Husk, a look of worry and fear mixed together was imprinted on her face.

“She’s not with you?”

Husk’s fingers ceased all actions when she asked that. He had a horrible feeling that something happened to the poor little kid. And knowing Valentino, it wasn’t anything that was good. Cutting the ropes with his nails, the Cat Demon was caught in a surprised manner when Rue hugged him close, his arms comforted her back and rubbing small circles.

“Alright. . .Thanks, Husk.”

Hearing that solemn tone in Charlie’s tone, Vaggie and Alastor could only detect nothing more but awful news was storming around the usually happy, go lucky Princess. Gripping the walkie talkie in her well manicured hand, Charlie chewed down on her lower lip, melancholy her current emotion. 

“Rue explained that once she and Ruby got to the studio, they were separated. That was the last time she saw Ruby alive. . .”

The hard lump in Charlie’s throat was swallowed as she bit back the urge to cry. Vaggie hugged her girlfriend close, doing her best to comfort her. Alastor’s deer ears flattened on top of his head as they all thought the same. Something horrible happened to the poor little girl. However, the storm of anger brewed deep inside of the Radio Demon as he gripped his microphone in his hand.

It wasn’t until Vaggie side glanced over at Alastor, who’s long coat tails were beginning to disappear that she wondered where he was going.

“Uh, Alastor. . .Where are you going?”

Charlie wiped away any excess tears that were streaming down her cheeks as she looked over to see a cloud of black smoke starting to warp and swirl, starting at Alastor’s feet and going upwards as he shot them both a charming smile. 

“Just off to make a quick phone call is all. I shall return shortly.”

A quiet hum danced its way into the air of a cozy little office. A giant leather chair was currently spun away from the door before the sound of the phone ringing made a certain Demons ears perk up. Dark Vermillion pools went half lidded, an interested flame burning inside of them as a turquoise color hand picked up the phone. Scarlet red colored lips stretched into an award winning smile.

“I honestly wondered when I’d hear from you again.” 

An amused chuckle from the Radio Demon as he sat in the library, a leg crossed over his other leg while he held a rotary phone in his hand. 

“I deeply apologize for not getting around to call you again, my dear Lucy. But you seem, I’m in a bit of a . . .predicament at the moment.”

An interested hum escaped the beautiful Demon’s lips as a lovely finger twirled a strand of long, snow white hair in a clockwise motion. As much as it was good to hear from the Radio Demon himself, she had an inkling that this was something serious. 

“What do you need from me, Alastor?”


	15. C H A P T E R  T H I R T E E N : H E L P I N G  H A N D S

The burgundy colored clouds drifted slowly over the city, the stale wind swooping behind the former child stars long, yet beautiful snow white hair up into the air a bit before the strands gracefully fell back down and brushed against her back. The dark vermillion scleras and small, white irises gleamed beautifully in the nearby lights of the building next door. 

“Even though it has been a while, you’re still as beautiful as ever, my dear.” 

That same award winning smile danced its way onto the Overlord’s crimson painted lips as that familiar, radio voice sang from the shadows. Her soft, snowy white hair gently hit her turquoise colored face just when the Radio Demon himself appeared right beside her, still looking the same as he always had: Charming and dapper in his own special way. 

“You never cease to amaze me, Alastor. But. . .What exactly is it that you wanted to talk to me about?” 

Ah, yes. The real reason as to why Alastor called this meeting. If he could get some info on where Ruby is being held, then he can contact Angel and let him know. Unfortunately, Alastor doesn’t know Valentino as well as Angel does, so, he wouldn’t have any idea as to where Valentino usually spends his time. But how he wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to stab a hole through that pompous bastard Vox’s TV screen of a head and watch it short circuit. 

“I need some information. On this little girl.” 

A picture was handed to Lucy as she gently took it and examined it. But what she saw made her heart melt immediately. Ruby was sitting on a couch in what appeared to be the hotel library, smiling her innocent little smile and looking like the sweet little angel she was. Such purity. . .A child such as this one should not belong in a cesspool of violence that was this city. 

“She’s so precious! Oh, you must let me meet her, Alastor!”

A smooth, yet deep chuckle danced its way out of Alastor’s throat as he held his hands together behind his back. However, he could only imagine Ruby, alone and terrified, strung together in a dark web. And what’s worse, that bastard Valentino and his pompous piece of shit TV headed lover, Vox were pulling the strings. She was their little puppet slave at the moment, probably being tortured for their amusement. 

“All in due time, Lucy darling. However, there is a bit of a. . . predicament we have. Unfortunately. . .she’s been kidnapped. By Valentino. And we’re trying to find her.” 

At the mention of Valentino, Lucy’s teeth gritted together as the anger began to boil inside of her. She despised that moth son of a bitch with a fiery passion. And it was clear on his end, he saw her as nothing more than a Cinderella wannabe looking bitch. How Lucy wouldn’t mind stabbing his eyes out with the ends of her beautiful, sequin studded, peacock high heels. 

A quiet ping of her phone smacked her back into reality before she pulled out her phone. Alastor gave her a minute to talk to whoever it was on the other end of the line. 

“What is it? If you can’t already tell, I’m in the middle of a conference.” 

“Sorry Ms. Lucille but-” 

Oh, how she hated it when people called her by that name. Countless interns were killed, their blood splattering her office as she stood there, panting angrily from the many tantrums she’s thrown from how that word never should be uttered. Then, she’ll have calmed down and call for a new intern. But that name ties to the dark past that has plagued the poor star to the bitter end. 

“Let me make this perfectly clear: You are to never, and I mean NEVER, call me Lucille. If you dare call me by that name again, I will prove all those doubters wrong that you can die twice! Understand?!”

An audible gulp as well as a shaky ‘Yes, Ms. Lucy’ was shuddered off of the poor soul on the other end. A quiet huff as well as a deep breath of air exhaled from her shimmering, ruby red lips, Lucy turned back to the patiently waiting Radio Demon. 

“I’m sorry for that, Alastor. Please, continue.”

A quiet yet audible clearing of his throat, Alastor had to think for a moment as to where he stopped at. 

“Yes, well. . . She was taken with the daughter of an old friend of Husk’s this afternoon. However, the last time she saw Ruby alive was when they were separated. I just came to ask if any of your workers have heard or seen anything regarding what happened.”

Pondering this a little bit, no recollection of anything mentioned about Ruby stood out to Lucy. But. . .Knowing Valentino, he’d make sure that this little girl knew fear, like she’s never known it before. 

“I’m sorry, Alastor. . .But I have no recollection of any of my workers mentioning her. But I’ll ask when I head back. How does that sound?” 

It pained Lucy when she thought she wasn’t being much of a help. Alastor didn’t blame her though, up until this moment, she’s probably never even heard of Ruby. But it was worth a shot. However, knowing Angel, he’d probably go off on his own and get her back, even if it killed him. 

“Of course. It was wonderful seeing you again, my dear. I’ll make sure to bring the little one with me next time. I won’t take up too much of your time. Until we meet again.” 

A gentle wave was exchanged between the two before Alastor disappeared, nothing left of him but a cloud of smoke. The wind picked up a little bit as a turquoise hand gently rested on the soft tufts of pure, snow white hair as alluring eyes glared over at the sign to Valentino’s studio. As if she was trying to turn the building into stone from her Medusa like glare.

Seeing Vox and Valentino exit the club, no sign of Ruby with either of them, Arackniss glared at them from the shadows. The limousine sped off, the tires screeching before the vehicle disappeared, the sound fading away. The Spider Demon noticed that those two were in there for quite some time. Probably doing horrible things to the poor kid.

“Time to call the cavalry.”

Pulling out his phone, Arackniss wasted no time in dialing up Angel’s number. Seeing as how his brother was extremely close to this kid, or from what he’s heard, he’d be antsy to get the little girl home safe. Tapping his foot against the sidewalk in slight impatience, Angel’s voice on the other end rang loud and clear.

“Anthony! God, it’s about time you picked up. Listen, you gotta get down here now.”

Confusion dripped from his brother’s voice as Arackniss looked through the window, seeing it completely empty. Like a ghost town. But no sign of Ruby anywhere. And that gave him a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

“Your boss and his little bitch of a boyfriend were here. They had the kid with them. But when they left, she wasn’t there. Chances are she’s still inside. I’m outside that nightclub he owns.”

Immediately, Angel agreed and said he’d be there shortly before hanging up. A gruff sigh escaped the shorter Spider Demon as he waited for his brother to hurry down here in those high heels of his. Almost fifteen minutes had passed and Arackniss was about to get angry. Where in the fuck was he? Before he could reach into his pocket and pull out his phone, about to call him, he could see a blur of pink and white stripes. 

“Sorry I’m late. . .Had to call someone real quick.”

A confused expression crossed over onto Arackniss’ face before Angel looked up and waved at something. Or rather. . . someone. Jumping down from the rooftop she was, Cherri Bomb made her way over to them. Well, the more hands they had in case there were any security guards or whatnot, the better.  
“Well, if we run into any trouble, at least we’ll have enough hands to get us out of any situations.” 

“How long were they in there for?”

If Arackniss remembered correctly, they were inside the club for probably a good twenty minutes before finally coming out. He couldn’t really hear anything of what was going on but that burning feeling of something bad happening to the poor girl crawled over his back. Another silent yet gruff sigh escaped the black as night, shorter spider before he replied to Cherri’s question.

“Twenty minutes. Couldn’t tell what was happening or if they were saying anything. But she’s still in there somewhere.”

Seeing Angel clench his fist, Cherri gently hugged the poor Spider Demon, who’s fears were almost eating him alive. This was exactly what he was trying to avoid. Holding back the burning hot tears from falling down his cheeks, Angel’s face hardened with a bit of determination. If Valentino did hurt Ruby, he was coming for him. No more acting like a scared little bitch. If Angel remembered anything of his previous life, it was to not back down anymore. 

The sound of a gun clicking caught his attention, seeing Arackniss pulling out his pistol and Cherri held one of her bombs, planning to use it if any trouble came their way, she could easily blind them with the smoke and it’d be much easier for them to be taken down. Pulling out his Tommy Gun and clocking it, Angel gripped the weapon tightly in his hands before looking at the doors, about to welcome them inside. 

“Let’s go.”


	16. C H A P T E R  F O U R T E E N : R E S C U E  M I S S I O N

With a gentle shove of the front door, the nightclub that Angel had performed in so many times, tons of dollars bills just raining on him from his performances, was now vacant and quiet. Valentino didn’t have this place open during the day, saying ‘the real fun happens at night’. A silent scoff escaped the dancer, a rush of chilly air breezing by him as well Cherri and Arackniss. 

“Holy fuck is it cold in here. This guy ever heard of heat?” 

Arackniss’ tone was chilly, the venom filled words dropping like icicles. Cherri began to scout out any cameras, none showing up so far. Of course, she caught a glimpse of the stage, the bright neon lights illuminating the back end. But the cold air really prickled her skin, goosebumps forming up and down her arms. 

“Ruby! It’s Angel! C’mon out, baby! It’s okay now!”

The words echoed off of the walls of the club, but no response. A horrible, sinking feeling overcame the Spider Demon as he could feel his heart drop down into his heels. But this was the last place that Niss saw her go into, or rather, taken to. She still had to be here. . .! Both Arackniss and Cherri shared a worried glance for Angel. Side Glancing over to the right corner of the ceiling, close to where the doors were, Niss glowered at a hidden camera. The trio carefully trekked deeper into the establishment. 

“I’m gonna go see if there are any more cameras around here.”

“Alright, just be careful.”

With a single nod, Cherri disappeared into the darkness, the sound of her running shoes fading away. A soft sigh escaped the shorter Spider Demon, who then took a quick glance over at his taller, younger brother. It pained Niss to see Angel like this. Angel then noticed his changing room door and had a feeling. He wasn’t sure what kind of feeling it was, but it was a feeling. Venturing over to it, the door was open but just a crack.

Pushing it open, Angel felt blood chill at the sight before him. His room looked like a tornado crashed in from the mess that was scattered everywhere. His palms felt sweaty and a cold sweat dripped down his face. But the horrifying thing that nearly made tears brim his eyes, was a little pool of blood that was still fresh on the floor near the broken mirror. 

“Holy shit. . .The fuck happened in here?” 

Dismissing Niss’ comment, Angel stumbled into his room a bit more, something familiar stuck out to him. The teddy bear was gently picked up from the ground and examined by Angel. It was still in good condition at least but had what looked like dried blood speckled on it. Hugging it close to his chest for comfort, Ruby’s sweet scent was still lingering on the toy. For a moment, he felt a bit of ease rush through him. 

“Doesn’t look like she’s in here. . .Cherri, anything on your end?”

The ‘click’ from the walkie talkie held in Niss’ hand buzzed. It was a good thing that they had a walkie talkie with them, just in case any trouble came for one of them. Or rather, all of them. What felt like a minute, which was really close to thirty seconds, passed before the spunky arsonist Demon got back to the mafioso. 

“Well, I found a security room. You boys might wanna take a look at this.”

Taking one last glance at the room they were in, Arackniss and Angel dashed off to where Cherri was. The security room door was wide open, Cherri sitting in a big, leather chair, a somber expression written on her face. Peering over her shoulders, the security cameras showed Valentino and Vox coming into the nightclub, Ruby held underneath Vox’s arm. Since there weren’t any cameras in Angel’s room, there had been a good five to ten minute clip of nothing. However, soon after that, Ruby is shown rushing out of the room, holding her arm with a terrified expression on her face, Vox running after her and shooting at her. 

That one clip made Angel dig his hands into the seat. Running past the stage and down the hall, Ruby hurried off camera with Vox hot on her heels. Static soon took over, ending the little movie that they just saw. A clear, yet faint ‘thump’ alerted the trio that something fell. Angel didn’t waste any time, he booked it out of the security room, really hoping it wasn’t bad. 

“Angel!”

He wasn’t gonna stop. He needed to know what that sound was. His heart rammed hard in his chest as his legs ran as fast as they could without him falling face first to the floor. All he wanted was just to see her again. Be able to tuck her in at night again. See her smiling her sweet, innocent smile up at him. Just be the sweet little girl he grew to care about. That was all he really wanted right now.

Rounding the corner, Angel got there just in the nick of time to see it happen. The only thing he could hear was a white noise, blaring in his ears. Almost as if it was in slow motion, A mix of pink and white fell to one of the couches and rolled off, slowing to a stop when on the ground. Giant tears brimmed Angel’s eyes before he ran over to her. A sharp gasp escaped his lungs, his pupils contracting greatly. 

“Ruby. . .”

Her body laid in a sprawled out position, somewhat close to a fetal position. Her honey, blonde hair was all frazzled and looked a little bit messy. Bruises, scrapes, some fresh and some healing, littered her small body. But what was worse was the obvious stab mark in her leg, as well as another stab mark in her arm, the warm blood still spilling from both wounds. 

“Oh my god. . .”

Cherri covered her mouth, the tears burning her eye as Niss grimaced and looked away from the horrible sight in front of him. It broke all of them to see the sweet little girl in this much pain. The fat tears continued to roll down Angel’s cheeks until he saw one of the TV’s turn on, Valentino’s cackle echoing from it as the male dancer looked over at it. 

“Oops~”

The anger boiling deep inside of Angel as he let out a loud scream, both of anger and hurt mixed together in a fury of emotions. Valentino’s cackle echoed off of the walls of the nightclub, Angel let out all of his sadness into the hug he was giving Ruby, holding her limp body close. Niss shot the TV to shut up Valentino laughing at them, mocking them all for not getting there in time. Tears were streaming down his cheeks like salty streams. This was a dark day that rained down on them. 

Hell actually had a hospital just a ten minute drive from the nightclub and the Hotel. Angel drove over to the hospital in the ambulance, still trying to recover from what had happened with Ruby. Ruby laid there on the gurney, an oxygen mask over her mouth, eyes closed as if she were asleep. The sight of her right now would be too painful for the Hotel staff to hear over the phone. Angel sniffled as the gurney rolled through the many doors before disappearing into the emergency room. 

‘Angel? Where are you?’

Hearing Charlie’s voice shoved the knife of pain further into Angel’s heart. Angel sniffled once more, trying to sound like he didn’t just spend a while ten minutes bawling his eyes out until they hurt from all of the tears as well as the hurt that gathered inside of him. Wiping his eyes with his glove, Angel felt a gentle squeeze on his shoulder from Cherri, who was sitting next to him and then gave him a soft hug. Niss was resting up against the wall, arms crossed over, but the shadow of his hat hid his eyes that were spilling many streams of tears down his face. 

“Charlie. . .We found Ruby. She’s. . . she’s hurting. Really bad. . .” 

It wasn’t enough to hear those words that tears didn’t start rolling down the Princess’ face as she held her phone in her hands. This day had been so cruel to all of them and one of their own was hurting. While the people who did this were probably laughing their asses off right now. Angel could just hear that bastard’s mocking chuckle ringing in his ears, the feeling made him want to just go on a murderous rampage at the moment. Any self restraint was washed away the moment that Ruby was found and the imprint that Valentino and Vox had left on her. 

How could those fuckers do this, especially to an innocent child?! It was sick and inhumane! 

“We’re down at the hospital right now. . . They. . . The doctors are in the emergency room with her right now. . .”

Hanging up, Angel held his head in his hands, gripping the white speckled with a few dots of pink in his fists, ready to just rip it out in sheer misery and anger. 

Soft heavy breaths could be heard heaving from the male dancer, nothing but rage lurked in his eyes. All he wanted to see now was Valentino’s body, slumped against the wall in his goddamn little prison he called a porn studio, a clean gunshot wound to the abdomen. The blood splattering all around the wall he rested against, his last breath rising into the air.

“I’m gonna fucking get that bastard. And I’m gonna make him pay.”


	17. C H A P T E R  F I F T E E N : T H E  W O L F ' S H U N T

{Meanwhile, while Angel is rescuing Ruby} 

Rue sighed as she and Husk walked the streets of hell back towards the hotel. Unfortunately, she was too heavy for Husk to carry her back while he flew, so they were walking. Her wrists were sore from the restraint and she was tired and hungry. Rue smiles slightly as she thought of her dad raising hell once he learned the conditions she had been kept under.

She daydreamed gleefully of her dad killing her bitch of a mom, incubator really, in many ways as she walked. None of them were merciful and quick. With this kind of joyous distraction, you’d forgive her for not noticing the four large men following her and Husk.

Her companion most certainly noticed though, as he suddenly stiffened, his ears flicking back and growl erupting in his throat. One second they were strolling down the street calmly, the next moment Husk grabbed Rue by the arm and dived into a nearby alleyway just as a gunshot went off behind them. The bullet hit the wall right where Husk’s head had been just a second ago. All the demons in the crowded street screamed and panicked, a brawl broke out in the middle of it, slowing the men down from chasing after Rue and Husk.

The goat-wolf hybrid was panicking herself, but knew to keep calm and her head level and clear. Husk seemed to know where he was going in the maze of alleyways as he pulled her along, his grip like iron around her wrist. She didn’t hold it against him when his claws dug into the tender skin. He was probably panicking himself after all.

They burst out of the alley and into a new street, a calmer and less crowded one. Funny how in one place, chaos and bloodshed was ensuing, yet here everyone was calm and didn’t give a shit about the two frazzled and panting demons who looked like they were running from something. Which they were. 

Rue held her chest a little as she caught her breath and looked around at the calm alleyway.

“Holy shit, you almost got shot in the head!” 

She exclaims as she looks at Husk with wide eyes.

“I noticed.” 

Husk growls before grabbing her wrist again, this time gentler. 

“Come on, we’re being hunted.”

They both started walking again towards the hotel, only problem now was they were even farther away. Husk’s detour through the alleyways had taken them severely off course. Shit. This wasn’t good. If they didn’t think of what to do fast, they were as good as sitting ducks, unknowing of when the hunters will come after them looking around for another way to get back to the Hotel, Husk’s mind was scattered. One more fucked up situation after the other.

‘Shit, this ain’t good. I gotta get Rue back before Pixel goes on a murderous rampage throughout the whole city.’ 

An angry slam to the desk cut through the air of the office, an icy, cold glare was shot over Bareea’s shoulder to the trembling demons before her. News had just been delivered to her that Rue had escaped and they did nothing to stop Husk from rescuing her. Just the very thought of all that hard work for nothing irritated the woman to no end. 

“You let her get away?! You’re useless!” 

The Demons flinched from the sudden slam of the desk as well as the spine chilling tone from the angry wolf demon in front of them. They began to stand around like a bunch of quivering milk maids, silently gulping and praying to Lucifer that she’d give them a bit of mercy. Of course, mercy was never a given with this wench of a woman. The stormy temper tantrum was halted by the buzzing sound from Bareea’s walkie talkie. 

“Give me some good news.” 

Bareea replied in a huff, turning away from the failures who couldn’t stop a damn cat Demon from rescuing her daughter. Her shiny, razor sharp claws tapped her clothed arm in a bit of an annoyed way. What felt like an eternity masked by really just a few seconds passed before a Brooklyn accent on the other side of the walkie talkie spoke.

“Found the kitty cat and the girl. Took a few shortcuts but right now, they’re in the west side of town. What's your call on this, Boss?”

“Kill that fucking cat, and bring my daughter to me. NOW!!!”

Bareea howls into the walkie talkie before she pauses.

“Wait! Actually… take him with you too. If I know my husband, he’ll try to move Hell itself to rescue that stupid feline.”

She growls before smirking and talking in her overly sweet tone she used to fool others.

“And don’t be afraid to rough the cat up a bit, alright? Just don’t touch my daughter, or else.”

The demon on the other end swallows a little. He knew this was not a woman he wanted to disappoint.

“Got it Boss, consider it done.”

Bareea smiles, satisfied as she turns back to the demons who let Rue escape. Her glare was back at full intensity as she growled at them and pulled out a holy dagger from her desk.

“Now… about your failure...”

She says, still speaking in that too-sweet tone. An audible gulp could be heard escaping the growing dry throats of the small ring of Demons as a cold sweat began to drip down their foreheads.

“Shit. . .! These fucking bastards keep coming out of nowhere!” 

Husk was doing his best to keep these damn demons off of their trail but, no matter how many times he had to fight back a good portion of them, they just kept multiplying, attacking from every which way. Rue was trying to hold them back as well but she was starting to run low on ammo. They were trapped like a couple of mice, cornered by a hungry cat, looking at them like they were dinner. The sharp blade being tightly clenched in a rat’s disgusting, furry palm glimmered menacingly in what little light shone in the alleyway.

Without hesitation, he charged, about to hold Rue at knife point. When Rue noticed, her body froze. She tried to shoot him back a bit, hoping to see some bullets fly out and knock him down, but the sound of her gun clicking empty made her heart drop into her shoes. It wasn’t until a forceful shove knocked her aside that she heard Husk cry out in pain.

Droplets of warm, crimson blood rolled down and began creating a small pool of red on the ground of the alleyway. The rat removed his knife from Husk’s arm, a snidely chuckle escaping the bastard as he twirled his knife in his fingers. Clenched teeth let out hisses of pain and ragged breathing as Husk held his wound tenderly while Rue rushed over to him in horror. 

“Husk!”

Seeing a lot of warm, crimson liquid pooling onto the ground from his wound, Rue felt her blood chill. The cut looked so deep and painful, he’d probably die from blood loss if he didn’t get it treated soon. Husk had dealt with worse before, but whatever wounds he got, that didn’t mean they didn’t hurt like a bitch. Right now, he had to get Rue back home to Pixel, not knowing that the dumbass probably went out to find her. Even in the condition Pixel was in, he was as stubborn as nails and tough as a Bronco.

“You got two choices here.. You two can come willingly or la cagna* can watch as we rip your wings off, piece by piece. Your choice, kitty cat.”

Black pupils, backdropped by orange scleras, narrowed in silent rage at the choice of words that this Cyclops Demon, looking as if he was related to Al Capone or stole one of his suits from him, had for Rue. However, he couldn’t really do much with his injured arm that was screaming in so much pain from that damn knife wound. Shit, this wasn’t good. It was bad enough that his arm was hurting but if they ripped off his wings, that’d be irreplaceable to fix.

Rue looked like a scared child, her body shaking a small bit as she huddled closer to Husk. Seeing that look of fear printed onto her face, Husk knew that he had to protect her from these motherfucking, dickless cowards. With nowhere to run, unless they wanted to get gunned down before they could make it out of the alleyway, they were completely fucked.

Gently, using his free arm, Husk held Rue close as he did nothing but glower up at the shadows surrounding them. 

“Let’s take a little joy ride.”

(*la cagna means bitch in Italian. At least, that's what Google says).


	18. C H A P T E R  S I X T E E N : D E C I S I O N S  A N D  M E E T I N G S

Ragged, pain staken, breaths of air broke out in chains from Husk’s mouth as he felt the press of Valentino’s death shoes called heels roughly jam into his arm wound. He cried out in pain before huffing more, in a mix of both anger and excruciating agony. A sickeningly sweet, psychotic giggle danced off of Velvet’s dark as the deepest night colored lips as she held her phone in her hands. Rue was on her knees, fear racing through her veins as she watched Husk take most of the hits. But through her locks of hair, her attention turned to that cold hearted bitch of a mother.

Rue glowered in a chilly manner at her. Bareea was in the back, blanketed by shadows but watching this all play out with a malicious smile on her snout, her icy blues glimmering in a wicked manner. The sound of the heavy doors leading into the giant room could be heard, the occasional glitch from Vox’s television head breaking into the air. 

“Everything all set up, Voxxy?”

Valentino’s disgusting voice hissed in a pleasant way, seeing his boyfriend enter with a satisfied, toothy grin plastered onto his face. The dice had been landed on snake eyes for the two captives in the room, the feeling of dread hanging over as the guillotine of chills as the thought of what these three were planning on doing to them. Rue stuck close to Husk, looking and feeling like she was back being a scared little girl, only her dad wasn’t there to calm her down.

“We’re all ready. But Val. . .What’re you gonna exactly say?”

Seeing that he pretty much asked the King of Hell last minute if he could make a broadcast, Valentino had very little time to really think of what to say. Of course, he wasn’t worried since this was the perfect opportunity for that cyborg bastard to drop by his feet and beg for mercy on his precious daughter’s life. But these worries fell off of him like they were made out of paper. Inhaling another taste of nicotine, the red smoke danced its way into the air as Valentino let out a deep exhale.

“Not to worry, Voxxy. I’ve got it all sorted out.” 

He then turned his attention to a coyote and a fox Demon, before snapping his fingers. Whenever Valentino snaps his fingers, it’s a clear sign for the room to listen up. Mainly over the fact that the rookie henchmen who haven’t spent even a week working for Valentino and doing the dirty work don’t wanna be the next one who ends up dumped in an alleyway, wrapped up in a body bag. Word travels fast around town if someone who works for Valentino screwed up and didn’t live to tell the tale the next day. 

“Fellas. . .Take our little audience to the old warehouse by the river. But gently, boys. Keep them unharmed.”

A fierce shove of the gun that the Fox Demon held in his hands and a few grunts from Rue and Husk, the two got the hint to start walking. Glowering behind them from the rough shoves and the obvious bruises from the muzzle digging into their backs, it was clear that these fuckwitts weren’t messing around. Watching the fluffy, midnight black tail of the Fox Demon gently whip out before disappearing out the door, Valentino turned to Velvet. 

“Velvet, be a lamb and go with them will you? If they try and disobey, I want you to take over watching those two so they don’t try and escape.”

“You got it, Val!”

A hop and skip to her step and out the door Velvet was. A quiet sigh sparked out of the TV Demon who was looking at his coat, a giant rip from the claw marks evident on the front side. A lost deep in thought expression stamped onto his face as he recalled the event that led up to his jacket getting clawed at. 

Faints yells from both him and Valentino were ringing in Vox’s ears as the sound of gunshots, growling and crying out in pain echoed in his memory. And those eyes. Those piercing, glowing bright blue eyes. . . They looked like the eyes of an enraged tiger, but the pupils were vertical, like a cat’s. Vox hissed and visibly shuddered at the memory.  
“You’re thinking about it too, huh.”

Light blue pupils side glanced over at the surfacing cloud of red smoke from the Moth pimp, a grimace on his face. Seems like Vox wasn’t the only one who was both haunted and very confused. How in the literal hell was that little bitch able to turn like that? Neither of them knew. Unless. . . Before Vox could really reply, his phone buzzed. Time to head out.

Light blue pupils side glanced over at the surfacing cloud of red smoke from the Moth pimp, a grimace on his face. Seems like Vox wasn’t the only one who was both haunted and very confused. How in the literal hell was that little bitch able to turn like that? Neither of them knew. Unless. . . Before Vox could really reply, his phone buzzed. Time to head out. 

“They’re all set downstairs. Let’s not keep them waiting.”

“Yes. . . I see. . . Thank you, Charlotte. I shall stop by when I finish up here.” 

Alastor’s deer ears flattened atop of his head as Charlie had past the news of Ruby onto him. Just thinking of her laying in that hospital bed, not moving. . . He didn’t like it. And the Radio Demon surely did not want to think of what had happened to the poor girl. Ending the phone call with Charlie, a troubled sigh escaped the terrifying overlord, the sigh reaching the turquoise ears of the Peacock Demon, who was looking out the window. 

“Alastor, is everything alright?”

That worried tone practically killed Alastor, even though he was already dead. But it pierced his heart like a poisoned arrow. How in the literal hell was he gonna let Lucy know without it upsetting her? Especially if Valentino is mentioned. Honestly, the shadow that was resting on the wall had a look of grief carved onto its face. That poor child. . . 

“I have a bit of. . .news, Lucy. Ruby is. . .in the hospital. Her injuries are bad. . .”

The small, black dots almost vanished completely, almost leaving nothing but the vermillion voids as the words swirled around Lucy’s head. A turquoise hand rested softly atop her pure, snow white hair as she took a minute to take in the news. However, before she or Alastor could say anything, every single screen in Hell began to broadcast. The first thing everyone ever saw was Valentino's smug and sadistic grin. He was lounging on a couch with his legs crossed and smoking. Bastard didn't have a care in the world. 

"Hello everyone. This is a live message I'm sending towards the one and only, Demon Killer. The sinner who's managed to stay anonymous as he's slaughtered others in hell, bringing them death for a second time. Well, Demon Killer... You will come to me and remove your mask, show everyone in hell who you are, or else, well... I think it's better I show you.~" 

Valentino's grin grows as the screen flickers to a darker image. The blurred out figures of Husk and Rue bound by chains, a goon standing over Husk with a glowing hot branding iron with a fancy "A" symbol on the end. Husk squirmed and kicked to no avail as the goon brought the brand down on his side with a sickening sizzle. He let out a pain filled scream as Rue could be heard sobbing.

“And I will do it. I will make sure that your daughter feels far greater pain than the kitty cat over there if you fail to comply. I’ll be waiting.”

The broadcast ended as Lucy was shaking, a fire of rage burning brightly in her vermillion pools, her teeth grinding together. An angry growl escaped her body as her fist came close to her TV.

“That fucking bastard!”

Angel was beyond furious. Seeing Husk and Rue on live TV like that, and hearing Husk’s painful cry mixed with Rue’s silent sobs drove him to punch the monitor of the TV, pieces of broken glass fallen from the now useless monitor as well as grey smoke wafting its way into the air. Niss and Cherri were currently out in the hallway, grimacing when they heard Angel yell in anger before hearing glass shattering. Clenching his gloved hand, the warmth of dark blood seeping into the fabric, a shaky sigh escaped Angel. His vexed expression melted into that of one filled with melancholy.

Looking behind him, Ruby hadn’t moved an inch. Hell, she hadn’t even opened her eyes, her mouth, nothing. All she was doing right now was lying in darkness. A cold, empty, dark void of nothingness. Her eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and while she wasn’t moving or opening her eyes in reality, she was able to move around perfectly fine in her mind. However, there were only two, white Victorian double doors. 

“Where am I? I can’t see or feel. . . anything. Last thing I remember was Vox standing over me. . . “

Those horrible memories began brightly flickering back into her brain. She couldn’t remember a whole lot of what really had gone down. Right now, she didn’t wanna think about it. Looking over at the first set of double doors, she began to walk towards it. That is until something stopped her dead in her tracks. A low but audible growl. A cold sweat began to bead down her forehead as her small, black pupils constricted greatly. Whipping her head behind her, all breath escaped her immediately.

There in the darkness was a pair of glowing, blue eyes. The snarling continued as the creature stepped forward. Fangs were barred, sharp and ready to bite down into anything. Fur, white and pure as the driven snow mixed with stripes of black going down its body. Piercing blue eyes training to burn a hole right in her forehead, just by looking at her. Standing tall and proud, was a snow white tiger. 

The drum of her heartbeat boomed loudly in her ears, nearly giving her a headache. However, one would normally start running as fast as their legs could carry them. And that would lead to the tiger giving chase, soon enough catching them and causing the victim to meet their unfortunate demise. However, Ruby was frozen in place. And by the looks of it, the tiger didn’t look as though it was going to attack her. In fact, carefully and cautiously prowling over to her, a low purr reverberated deep within the tiger’s throat. 

Swallowing her fears and let out a calming breath, Ruby’s hand slowly began to reach out to the tiger.


End file.
